At a glance
1 min
All change for drivers
All change for drivers
The next-generation driving licence will appear in 2013: the polycarbonate e-licence will be a credit card-style smart card and will be issued from January 2013 under a European Directive which requires all EU countries to use the scheme. This single document will replace the 110 models that currently exist across the EU and will each be valid for 15 years.
The Directive has three main aims: fight licence fraud, make it easier for people to move around freely, and improve road safety.
Holders of the new licence will be able to check at any time how many points they have on it with a small card reader. And it will give police reliable information in all EU countries.
More information
www.europeanlawmonitor.org