A crumpled paper document tucked into a glove compartment may soon be a thing of the past. The European Parliament’s transport committee has backed plans to make digital vehicle registration certificates the EU-wide default — while keeping paper for those who need it. The reform targets not just red tape, but the thriving market for clocked and stolen cars.
The committee backed making the digital certificate the EU-wide default within three years of the regulation entering into force, voting 39 to one with one abstention. Citizens must still be able to request a paper version in cases of digital exclusion, and a QR code would allow access to vehicle data.
Member states would be required to share data on vehicle registration, mileage, inspection results and registration cancellations. The aim is to ease administration and control re-registration of vehicles across borders. MEPs also backed sharing remote sensing data and information on tampered heavy-duty vehicles, where available.
The reform should help tackle used car fraud. Gaps in national systems have long made odometer fraud—lying about the actual mileage of a sold car—and resale of stolen vehicles easier. Linking registers across the EU would improve transparency and make it harder to falsify a vehicle’s history.
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Road to the plenary
The proposal is part of a 2025 roadworthiness package from the European Commission, which revises rules on vehicle inspections, registration documents and roadside checks. Its objectives are to improve road safety, support sustainable mobility and ease the movement of vehicles across the EU.
The committee also voted to open negotiations with member states on the final form of the legislation. The full Parliament is set to have the last word in a plenary vote scheduled for late April.
Rapporteur Johan Danielsson (S&D/SWE) described the result as proof that digitalisation can deliver practical benefits without leaving anyone behind.
A physical version of the registration document should always be available upon request.
—Johan Danielsson
“While fully supporting the digital transition, I also want to ensure strong safeguards to protect citizens with limited digital access or skills. A physical version of the registration document should therefore always be available upon request,” Mr Danielsson said. If the plenary gives the green light, negotiations with member states can begin — bringing the humble car registration document into the digital age, while keeping it on paper for those who still need it.
