MEPs call for the implementation of a “digital vehicle registration certificate” at European level
A European Parliament committee approved a proposal for car registration documents to become mostly digital, despite maintaining the possibility for citizens to request a physical version.
This position, approved by the Transport and Tourism Committee with 39 votes in favor, one against and one abstention, will still have to be voted on by the 720 deputies of the European Parliament, before being negotiated with the Council of the European Union, which represents the governments of the Member States.
In the position approved today, MEPs call for a “digital vehicle registration certificate” to be implemented at European level and for this to become the “main format” for this type of document within a period of three years.
This certificate, say the MEPs, would have to contain a QR code that would allow “immediate access” to all information on a vehicle.
MEPs foresee, however, the possibility for a citizen to request a physical version of this certificate, to “respond to the needs of people with limited digital access or capabilities”.
In addition to proposing the creation of a digital certificate, this European Parliament (EP) committee also advocates that data on a given vehicle – such as its weight, owner or inspection results – be recorded electronically, “to facilitate the work of inspectors”.
“To combat fraud, dubious practices in the second-hand car market and the illegal trade in stolen vehicles, the text also suggests that EU Member States share these records,” says the EP in a statement.
Quoted in this statement, the author of this proposal, Swedish MEP Johan Danielsson, says that the text is a “very good example of how you can use the benefits of data sharing and digitalization to ensure simple but effective results”.
“While we support the digital transition in terms of vehicle registration documents, we also want to ensure strong safeguards to support citizens with limited digital access or capabilities,” says the MEP, who adds that it is “essential that citizens who face barriers in using digital tools are not left at a disadvantage.”
This position of MEPs is based on a proposal made by the European Commission in April 2025, which aims to update European rules with regard to vehicle registration.
In this proposal, the community executive also proposes that the digital format for vehicle registration documents becomes the standard, to “simplify cross-border data sharing”.
