European roads could become cleaner and safer as transport ministers push through a major overhaul of vehicle inspections and registration rules. On Thursday, 4 December, they agreed on the Council’s position for the “roadworthiness package,” which aims to make cars easier to monitor, cut harmful emissions, and improve road safety across the bloc.
Thomas Danielsen, Denmark’s Minister for Transport, welcomed the move, saying it modernised “roadside and periodic testing while keeping the administrative burden manageable for vehicle owners.”
Three-prong plan
The package targets three areas: periodic inspections for motor vehicles, roadside inspections for commercial vehicles, and vehicle registration documents. It introduces smarter emission testing, boosts road safety, and makes vehicle data more reliable and easier for member states to share.
Inspection schedules remain the same, so older vehicles stay on a biennial cycle, and motorbikes stay exempt. Light commercial vehicles now undergo emission checks, and new methods for measuring nitrogen oxides (NOx – engine emissions that contribute to air pollution) and particle emissions promise more accurate monitoring.
Six-month certificates
Drivers can also get temporary roadworthiness certificates in countries other than where their vehicle is registered, allowing six months of circulation before completing a full inspection at home. The Council has balanced these changes with costs for vehicle owners and notes that some NOx testing methods still require development.
With Thursday’s agreement, negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin to finalise the rules. This update marks the EU’s first major overhaul of vehicle inspection standards since 2014, reflecting advances in technology and the rise of electric vehicles.
