MEPs on the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee have backed changes to EU vehicle roadworthiness rules that would allow drivers to have mandatory checks carried out in another member state, while rejecting plans for more frequent testing of older cars.
The committee adopted its draft position on revising EU rules for periodic roadworthiness tests and roadside inspections for commercial vehicles by 30 votes to 11, with two abstentions, according to the European Parliament's release issued on Tuesday.
Under the proposal, a car could be inspected in an EU country other than where it is registered, with drivers issued an EU temporary roadworthiness certificate valid for six months.
The next inspection would still have to take place in the country of registration. MEPs want the same option to apply to vans.
The committee voted against a European Commission proposal to move cars and vans more than 10 years old from inspections every two years to annual tests.
The change was not considered proportionate or supported by sufficient evidence that it would reduce accidents.
MEPs also backed updating checklists to cover advanced driver assistance systems — such as airbags and automatic emergency braking — as well as new items relevant to battery electric and hybrid vehicles.
Emissions and odometer fraud
The committee supported adding particle number and nitrogen oxide measurements to periodic testing on a voluntary basis, leaving member states to decide how far to go, the European Parliament said.
MEPs also supported checking whether a vehicle has complied with any outstanding mandatory recall, with vehicles failing the inspection if they have not.
To tackle odometer tampering in the second-hand market, MEPs backed requiring repair garages to record odometer readings for cars and vans, and manufacturers to enter readings from connected vehicles into a national database. The garage requirement would apply only when a repair takes more than one hour.
The committee also backed making periodic testing mandatory for heavy motorcycles over 125cc, including electrically powered heavy motorcycles.
On roadside checks, MEPs agreed that an existing EU-level target — that 5% of buses and trucks are checked — should become a national target instead, and that roadside inspections should be extended to vans.
They also supported screening a wider range of vehicles for polluting emissions during roadside inspections, with potentially high-emitting vehicles required to undergo further testing.
Rapporteur Jens Gieseke said the committee’s approach would rule out annual general inspections for vehicles over 10 years old and avoid additional testing requirements for light commercial vehicles.
MEPs also voted to open talks with EU countries on the final legislation, a step that still requires approval by the full Parliament in mid-May.
