EU committee backs digital vehicle registration and mileage data sharing

The European Parliament’s Committee on Transport and Tourism has backed draft rules introducing digital vehicle registration certificates and wider cross-border sharing of vehicle data, including mileage and inspection results, as part of the revision of the EU rules on vehicle registration documents.

According to the committee, the digital vehicle registration certificate would become the main format within three years of the new rules entering into force. Members of the European Parliament also want a physical version to remain available on request for people with limited digital access or skills, and support the use of a QR code for immediate access to vehicle information.

The draft rules would require core vehicle information to be registered electronically, including the vehicle’s make, weight, owner, regular inspection results, and reasons for cancelling registration. The committee says this is intended to support roadworthiness inspectors and authorities responsible for re-registering vehicles.

To address fraud, questionable practices in the second-hand car market, and the illegal trade in stolen vehicles, the draft text would also require EU countries to make these registers accessible to one another.

In addition to vehicle registration data, mileage, and regular and roadside inspection results, the committee added an obligation to share, where available, remote sensing data and data relating to tampered heavy-duty vehicles.

The committee also backed opening negotiations with the EU member states on the final form of the legislation. That decision still requires approval by Parliament as a whole.

The proposal forms part of the roadworthiness package, presented by the European Commission in 2025, which seeks to update minimum standards for vehicle inspections, vehicle registration documents, and roadside inspections to improve road safety, support sustainable mobility, and facilitate the free movement of people and goods.

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