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Brussels, |
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EU tightens road-safety and registration rules—electric vehicles included. Our policy recommendations.
EU’s stricter rules will affect 250 million vehicles—including electric cars. The directive still needs approval from the European Parliament and national governments. Legislators are urged to avoid another market shock.
The European Commission has unveiled a sweeping “Roadworthiness Package” that promises to make Europe’s highways cleaner and far safer. By 2050 the plan could save 7 000 lives, prevent 65 000 serious injuries and crack down on odometer fraud, all while moving your car’s paperwork to a tap-on-screen digital passport.
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Brussels, 9 June 2025 – Europe’s ageing car fleet is about to get a high-tech health check. In a bid to hit its “Vision Zero” target of almost no road deaths by 2050, the European Commission yesterday proposed the first overhaul of EU vehicle-testing rules in a decade. Key to the package is a mandatory annual inspection for cars and vans older than ten years, a group that spews a disproportionate share of harmful exhaust and already makes up more than half of Europe’s 256 million-strong car park.
Electric vehicles won’t be spared: the new rules create a dedicated test for battery health and the software that controls advanced driver-assistance systems. Inspectors will also be armed with ultrafine-particle and NOx probes to sniff out tampered diesel engines and rogue petrol hot-hatches. The Commission is equally bullish on digital red-tape-slashing. Paper log-books will be replaced by a cross-border-recognised e-certificate, making it easier to register a car in another EU country while closing loopholes for mileage tampering. Only 16 Member States currently swap odometer data; the proposal makes that the EU default. “We’re harnessing tech to keep families safe and our air clean,” transport EU Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said, urging MEPs and ministers to fast-track the laws. Why it matters
Next steps - Parliament and Council start negotiations this summer; if adopted, Member States would transpose the three revised directives within 24 months. |
EU-27 currently inspection intervals
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The Commission's proposal in brief
The “Roadworthiness Package” COM(2025) 179 final and COM(2025)0180 final revises Directives 2014/45/EU (Periodic Technical Inspection, PTI), 1999/37/EC (Vehicle Registration Documents) and 2014/47/EU (Roadside Inspection of Commercial Vehicles).
It introduces:
Directive |
Key amendment |
Implementation notes |
2014/45/EU |
Adds EV battery-state-of-health (SoH ≥ 70 % threshold) and ADAS software integrity checks; lowers PTI interval for M1/N1 >10 yrs to 12 months |
Requires ISO 21434-compliant cybersecurity audit trail |
1999/37/CE |
Replaces paper Part I & II with XML-based Digital Vehicle Registration Certificate (DVRC) & digital PTI certificate |
Data model aligns with EU CARA platform API v2.2 |
2014/47/EU |
Mandates remote roadside sensors for PN<sub>23 nm</sub> and RDE-correlated NOx; expands scope to L-category e-mopeds |
Inspection authorities to calibrate sensors annually per EN 16828 |
Projected impacts (2026-2050) (Commission's estimate)
- Fatalities: −7 000 (baseline: European Road Safety Observatory, 2024).
- Serious injuries: −65 000.
- PM<sub>2.5</sub> load: −18 kt (Commission modelling, scenario “MIX-Road”).
- Administrative savings: €1.1 bn/year from DVRC rollout (DG MOVE IA, 2025).
Technical rationale
- Battery & ADAS testing leverages UNECE R157/158 diagnostics; SoH measured via DC-internal resistance (ΔR ≤ 30 mΩ/100 Ah).
- Ultrafine-particle (PN<sub>23 nm</sub>) sampling aligns with Euro 7 OBD, using CVS-PMP methodology.
- Odometer fraud mitigation: Each PTI uploads mileage as SHA-256 hashed record to the eRegSrv interoperability node, accessible through the EUCARIS broker service.
National Compliance timeline
Deadline for Member States to implement the Directive after its adoption are:
Months |
Member State action |
+6 m |
Nominate National Access Point (NAP) for vehicle data |
+12 m |
Transpose DVRC API & connect to EUCARIS |
+24 m |
Start enhanced PTI; calibrate PN23/NOx roadside sensors |
+36 m |
Mutual recognition of PTI certificates effective |
79 % of Europe’s cars are more than four years old
According to ACEA’s latest “Vehicles in Use – Europe 2023” report, the European Union’s passenger-car fleet numbered about 252 million vehicles in 2022. The study breaks the fleet down by age as follows:
Age band |
Share of the EU-27 fleet |
< 2 years |
8 % |
2–5 years |
13 % |
6–10 years |
28 % |
11–15 years |
26 % |
> 15 years |
25 % |
Adding the 6–10, 11–15 and > 15-year categories shows that 79 % of Europe’s cars are more than four years old. Applied to a fleet of 252 million, that equals roughly 200 million vehicles (sources: ACEA, acea.auto; supplementary coverage in Al Volante).
In other words, four out of every five cars on EU roads are older than four years, and nearly half are over ten years old. This statistic is pivotal to the European Commission’s proposal to tighten periodic roadworthiness tests: the new package calls for annual inspections precisely for this large, ageing share of the fleet
In other words, four out of every five cars on EU roads are older than four years, and nearly half are over ten years old. This statistic is pivotal to the European Commission’s proposal to tighten periodic roadworthiness tests: the new package calls for annual inspections precisely for this large, ageing share of the fleet
Impact on the EU car fleet
- Target group – Roughly 200 million cars are older than four years (79 % of the EU-27 fleet) and more than 120 million are already over ten years old.
- Faster renewal – Annual inspections from year 10 will make it less attractive to keep very old, high-maintenance cars. Low-income households may scrap vehicles earlier or, in lower-GDP Member States, simply deregister them without replacement.
- Intra-EU migration – With a digital “vehicle passport” and mutual PTI recognition, mid-age cars could shift toward markets with softer tax regimes (Central & Eastern Europe), re-balancing the fleet mix but not cutting the absolute number of old vehicles in the short term.
Consequences for technical inspection centres (PTI)
Item |
Expected effect |
Key pain points |
Test volume |
+35 – 45 % by 2030 in countries that are currently biennial, because every car > 10 years becomes annual. |
Shortage of qualified inspectors; need for longer opening hours. |
Capital expenditure |
New EV-battery benches, PN23 nm particle probes, ADAS readers – € 60-150 k per lane. |
Thin margins will push small stations to merge or close. |
Value-added services |
OTA-software checks, battery-health certificates for used-car leasing, “green” certificates. |
Extra revenue streams to offset the CAPEX hit. |
Municipal and state finances
Potential drop if many older vehicles are not replaced, but money will be saved thanks to less healtcare for related illnesses and to less bureaucrating costs.
Budget line |
Net effect |
Comment |
Inspection fees |
±0 --> + |
More tests, but average fee may have to stay capped. |
Vehicle taxes & registration |
- |
Potential drop if many very old vehicles are deregistered and not replaced. |
Public-health costs |
+ |
Fewer PM2.5/NOx-related illnesses; Commission projects 7 000 lives and 65 000 serious injuries saved (2026-2050). |
IT / digital registry roll-out |
– (up-front) / + (long run) |
National links to the MOVE-HUB require initial budgets, but digital paperwork is estimated to save > € 1 bn/year once fully deployed. |
Conclusions
The Commission’s Roadworthiness Package lands at a precarious moment for Europe’s auto economy. Without scrappage incentives and with interest rates still high, annual inspections from year 10 are likely to funnel demand toward “young-used” cars (4-8 years old) instead of the new EVs Brussels would rather see on driveways. OEMs (like Volkswagen, Stellantis, BMW or Hyundai) can feel the tremor: expect battery-health guarantees and software-based after-sales bundles as they scramble to prop up residual values. Any electric model whose state-of-health (SoH) slips below the 70 % mark risks a second-hand fire sale; well-maintained packs, by contrast, could become the new low-mileage badge of honour.
On the public-finance ledger the story is mixed. Inspection fees swell—with political pressure to cap prices—while registration tax revenue could dip if ageing cars are simply deregistered and scrapped. Yet healthier air is, literally, money in the bank: the Commission’s own modelling credits the package with 7 000 fewer deaths and 65 000 fewer serious injuries between 2026 and 2050, easing the load on stretched health budgets. Up-front IT costs to plug every national registry into the MOVE-HUB look steep, but Brussels argues digital paperwork will save treasuries more than €1 billion a year once the system hums.
Capitals are already sketching their red lines. The North-West bloc (Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden) is basically there already and wants the rules in place within 18 months. Countries with older fleets or laxer four-year test cycles—Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania—will plead for 36- to 48-month grace periods and a slice of EU recovery cash to upgrade test lanes and cushion low-income motorists. Berlin and Paris back the spirit of the reform but will defend the small garages that dominate their PTI market, lobbying for tax credits on new gear. The Baltics and Ireland will sign on only once cyber-security for the digital passports is watertight.
Procedurally, the clock is already ticking. The file (2025/0096-97 COD) awaits a rapporteur, but the Parliament’s centrist triangle—EPP, S&D, Renew—shows no appetite for a grand rewrite. Expect tweaks on battery thresholds and data privacy, not on the annual-test trigger. Under Denmark' Council presidency in the second half of 2025, ministers must still hammer out transposition deadlines, yet the timeline looks locked: report by Q4-2025, plenary vote and swift trilogue by mid-2026, text in the Official Journal by mid-2027 and national laws in force no later than 2029-30.
Net-net, Europe gets a healthier but slightly smaller fleet, a tidier used-car market and a more professionalised inspection industry. The political hazard is “car poverty”: in a weak economy, families could lose mobility altogether if they cannot afford either the annual test or a cleaner replacement. Governments may surrender some tax revenue at first, but they bank cleaner air, safer roads and lower healthcare costs down the line. Whether that trade-off feels fair to voters will decide if the Roadworthiness Package is hailed as visionary—or remembered as the moment Brussels told cash-strapped drivers their old car was no longer welcome.
On the public-finance ledger the story is mixed. Inspection fees swell—with political pressure to cap prices—while registration tax revenue could dip if ageing cars are simply deregistered and scrapped. Yet healthier air is, literally, money in the bank: the Commission’s own modelling credits the package with 7 000 fewer deaths and 65 000 fewer serious injuries between 2026 and 2050, easing the load on stretched health budgets. Up-front IT costs to plug every national registry into the MOVE-HUB look steep, but Brussels argues digital paperwork will save treasuries more than €1 billion a year once the system hums.
Capitals are already sketching their red lines. The North-West bloc (Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, Sweden) is basically there already and wants the rules in place within 18 months. Countries with older fleets or laxer four-year test cycles—Slovakia, Greece, Italy, Poland, Romania—will plead for 36- to 48-month grace periods and a slice of EU recovery cash to upgrade test lanes and cushion low-income motorists. Berlin and Paris back the spirit of the reform but will defend the small garages that dominate their PTI market, lobbying for tax credits on new gear. The Baltics and Ireland will sign on only once cyber-security for the digital passports is watertight.
Procedurally, the clock is already ticking. The file (2025/0096-97 COD) awaits a rapporteur, but the Parliament’s centrist triangle—EPP, S&D, Renew—shows no appetite for a grand rewrite. Expect tweaks on battery thresholds and data privacy, not on the annual-test trigger. Under Denmark' Council presidency in the second half of 2025, ministers must still hammer out transposition deadlines, yet the timeline looks locked: report by Q4-2025, plenary vote and swift trilogue by mid-2026, text in the Official Journal by mid-2027 and national laws in force no later than 2029-30.
Net-net, Europe gets a healthier but slightly smaller fleet, a tidier used-car market and a more professionalised inspection industry. The political hazard is “car poverty”: in a weak economy, families could lose mobility altogether if they cannot afford either the annual test or a cleaner replacement. Governments may surrender some tax revenue at first, but they bank cleaner air, safer roads and lower healthcare costs down the line. Whether that trade-off feels fair to voters will decide if the Roadworthiness Package is hailed as visionary—or remembered as the moment Brussels told cash-strapped drivers their old car was no longer welcome.
Our Recommendations to Minimise Collateral Damage for Industry & Consumers
- Phase-in the annual test by mileage as well as age.
Rationale: A 10-year sports car with 40 000 km does not pose the same risk as a 10-year taxi with 400 000 km. A dual trigger—10 years or 150 000 km, whichever comes first—would reduce unnecessary tests and relieve low-mileage households without weakening safety goals. - Tie the new battery-health check to a harmonised, open protocol.
Rationale: OEM-specific SoH algorithms risk market fragmentation and litigation over residual values. Mandate a single EU test method (e.g. ISO 12405-4 pulse capacity + impedance) that inspection centres and second-hand buyers can trust, with results stored in the digital vehicle passport. - Create a “Clean Replacement Voucher” for low-income owners of failing cars.
Rationale: To avoid “car-poverty,” authorise Member States to redirect a portion of ETS-2 or RRF revenue into vouchers redeemable against the purchase of a sub-8-year Euro 6d or electric vehicle. Make the voucher conditional on scrapping the old car, aligning social support with fleet renewal and air-quality targets. - Offer targeted CAPEX tax credits for small PTI stations.
Rationale: Independent centres will carry the cost of PN23 probes and battery benches. A time-limited 20 % investment tax credit (de-minimis compliant) would prevent closures and encourage faster roll-out of the new equipment, especially in rural regions. - Cap PTI fee increases in real terms for five years.
Rationale: Users should not finance the entire transition up-front. Linking the maximum fee rise to the eurozone HICP ensures predictability for households while giving centres room to amortise new gear gradually. - Synchronise the digital-passport rollout with GDPR-grade cyber rules.
Rationale: Baltic and Irish delegations flagged security concerns. Require ENISA certification for the MOVE-HUB infrastructure and give owners opt-in control over commercial reuse of odometer and SoH data. - Allow a 36-month derogation for countries moving from quadrennial to annual PTI only if they submit an investment roadmap.
Rationale: This “earned extension” balances equity (extra time for Slovakia, Greece, etc.) with accountability; roadmaps would detail funding sources, inspector training and public-communication plans. - Mandate mid-term evaluation in 2032 with sunset clauses on contentious thresholds.
Rationale: Battery technology and market conditions evolve quickly. Building a review point into the Directive—triggered by Commission report and ordinary legislative procedure—lets lawmakers adjust the SoH threshold or inspection frequency without reopening the entire file. - Encourage OEM “Battery Health Warranty” schemes via soft-law guidance.
Rationale: If manufacturers backstop degradation risk, residual-value swings are tempered and consumer confidence rises—supporting EV uptake without formal subsidy outlays. - Ring-fence a share of new PTI revenues for municipal clean-mobility projects.
Rationale: Earmarking funds for bike lanes or zero-emission bus fleets helps cities offset any loss in vehicle-tax income and keeps local authorities on-side politically.
Some measures would preserve the Package’s core safety and environmental benefits while cushioning small businesses, vulnerable motorists and public budgets against unintended shock.
© Copyright eEuropa Belgium 2020-2025
Sources: ©European Union, 1995-2025, ©EEA, Eurostat
Sources: ©European Union, 1995-2025, ©EEA, Eurostat
