The Council and the Parliament launch urgent temporary measures for Ukrainian driver documents
In response to Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine, the Council and the European Parliament agreed (7 July 2022) on introducing through urgent procedure specific and temporary measures concerning Ukrainian driver documents.
The legislative proposal is linked to the reception of Ukrainian refugees and aims at reducing the administrative requirements normally applying to third country drivers when driving within the EU. This innovative measure alleviates the administrative burden on Ukrainian refugees as regards driving documents and, at the same time, provides a harmonised approach for the duration of temporary protection.
The recognition and exchange of third country driving licences is not governed by EU rules. The Commission has put forward this proposal recognising that the problem, due to its scale and effects as a consequence of the war, needs a harmonised regulatory framework. It will be strictly linked to the temporary protection to refugees from Ukraine granted initially by a Council Decision on 4 March.
The aim is twofold:
- on the one hand, to contribute to the social and economic integration of Ukrainian refugees in the Member State of reception;
- on the other hand, to maintain a high level of road safety in the Union.
The regulation provides the conditions for the recognition of driving licences and driver qualification cards issued by Ukraine, the extension of the validity of expired driver documents issued by Ukraine, verification procedures in case of lost or stolen driving licences issued by Ukraine, the prevention of fraud or forgery, as well as the monitoring of its implementation by the Commission.
Next steps
The Council will proceed to an adoption of its position in the legislative procedure as quickly as possible. Due to the urgency of the matter, the regulation shall enter into force on the fifth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.