Directive 2006/126/EC provides for a common model for driving licences to be issued by Member States, including an optional storage medium (microchip).

The introduction of such a microchip in the driving licence should enable the Member States to further improve the level of anti-fraud protection. Such processing of personal data needs to be carried out in accordance with the rules of the Union, as set out, inter alia, in Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data2.

To ensure interoperability and adequate resistance against fraud the technical implementation of the microchip should fulfil certain requirements and standards, if Member States choose to introduce it in the driving licence.

Driving licences which include a microchip should be subject to an appropriate EU type-approval procedure to verify that they comply with those requirements. The EU type-approval procedure should not apply to driving licences which do not include a microchip.

The technical requirements applicable to driving licences which include a microchip should be based on internationally agreed technical standards, in particular the International Standardisation Organisation/International Electrotechnical Commission (ISO/IEC) 18013 standard, which establishes a framework for the design format and data content of an ISO-compliant driving licence.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on driving licences,