MEP Benoit Cassart (Renew) has questioned the European Commission on whether a prior road safety impact assessment should be required when a Member State or region reduces the frequency of roadworthiness tests to the EU minimum, as allowed under Directive 2014/45/EU. The question, submitted on 29 June 2026, highlights a potential contradiction: while the Commission is proposing to increase minimum requirements (COM(2025)0180), some authorities could drop their standards without an independent safety assessment.
first, whether the Commission considers that a prior road safety assessment is needed before a Member State aligns with the minimum; second, what the Commission thinks of this alignment happening simultaneously with its own efforts to raise the minimum, and whether it has tools to address this in the ongoing revision.
The policy orientation is towards maintaining or raising road safety standards, with Cassart pushing back against the possibility of regulatory backsliding. The question implies a concern that without safeguards, the directive's flexibility could undermine safety, particularly for older vehicles and those for passenger carriage.
Under European Parliament rules, the Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks. The answer will signal whether the Commission sees a need for additional impact assessment requirements or other measures to prevent a race to the bottom in road safety testing.