With the ambitious objective of reducing the number of dead and serious injuries by 50 % on European roads by 2030, the European Commission unveiled this month, a series of proposals intended to strengthen controls of vehicles in circulation. Among them, a particularly scrutinized measure: make a technical control compulsory every year for private vehicles over 10 years old.
Already existing European supervision
Today, European technical control regulations are defined mainly by the 2014/45/EU Directive of April 3, 2014 relating to the technical control of motor vehicles. This directive requires member states to regularly check the private vehicles, with a minimum frequency: a first control four years after the first registration, then every two years. However, it leaves countries the possibility of establishing stricter rules.
France, for example, has aligned itself with these minimum requirements: after four years, a car must pass a technical control every two years. But this system could soon evolve.
Why target vehicles over 10 years old?
According to data from the European Road Safety Observatory, old vehicles are disproportionately involved in serious accidents. On average, a car over 10 years old presents a risk of a fatal accident up to 30 % to that of a more recent vehicle. Mechanical wear and tear, obsolescence of safety equipment and the increase in polluting emissions with age are all factors put forward by Brussels.
In addition to security, the Commission also insists on the environmental issue. In connection with regulation (EU) 2019/631 fixing strict standards for CO₂ emissions from new vehicles, the reinforced control of old vehicles would better monitor actual polluting emissions, in particular in terms of nitrogen oxides (NOX) and fine particles.
A measure that would affect more than 22 million vehicles in France
According to the latest statistics from the French Ministry of Ecological Transition, more than half of the French car fleet is over 10 years old. Concretely, this would represent around 22 million vehicles concerned by this new obligation, a very large part of French motorists.
The cost of a technical control, today of around 78 euros on average according to the DGCCRF, would therefore weigh more on household budgets. For some, especially in rural areas, this additional annual expenditure could be perceived as an unfair financial constraint.
An adoption far from being acquired
To enter into force, this proposal must be validated by the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union, then transposed by each Member State. A process that could take several years. In France, for example, the establishment of technical control for motorized two-wheelers (imposed by the European directive 2014/45/EU but long rejected) required almost four years of debates and adjustments before being effectively implemented in 2024.
Member States will also be able to negotiate specific developments according to their national realities, as had enabled Annex III of Directive 2014/45/EU concerning the methods and criteria for control.
Basically, the European proposal is part of a global dynamic of strengthening security and the fight against automotive pollution. But on the form, it risks fueling the dissatisfaction of part of the motorists, already weakened by the increase in costs related to transport.
In France, several road user associations have already expressed their opposition, like the French Federation of Angry Bikers (FFMC), which fears a ” financial blister »Owners of old vehicles, often less easy. Conversely, NGOs like Transport & Environment greet an initiative ” essential to save lives and protect the planet ».
The debate is just beginning! And as often in terms of European regulation, finding a balance between harmonization of standards and compliance with national particularities promises to be delicate.
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