The Driving Licences (Community Driving Licence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Road Traffic Offenders (Northern Ireland) Order 1996 (“the 1996 Order”) so as to give effect to Council Directive 91/439/EEC of 29th July 1991 on driving licences (O.J. No. L237, 24.8.91, p. 1). The Directive applies, by virtue of Decision 7/94 of the EEA Joint Committee (O.J. No. L160, 28.6.94, p. 1) to states within the European Economic Area.

Under the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981, as amended by Schedule 1 to the Driving Licences (Community Driving Licence) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the 1996 Regulations”), holders of driving licences issued by states within the EEA (called “Community licences”) who become resident in Northern Ireland, are authorised to drive here without the need to exchange their licences for Northern Ireland ones.

Schedule 1 to these Regulations amends the 1996 Order—

• to provide for the endorsement of the counterparts of Community licences in respect of penalties imposed for certain road traffic offences, the endorsements providing evidence of previous convictions for the purposes of criminal proceedings in the courts and for the fixed penalty regime of Part IV of the 1996 Order;

• to make holders of Community licences subject to the Northern Ireland legislative provisions governing the disqualification of drivers.

Schedule 2 makes minor amendments, arising from the 1996 Regulations, to the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 and the Road Traffic (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.

Copies of the EEC Directive referred to in this note can be obtained from The Stationery Office, 16 Arthur Street, Belfast BT1 4GD.