Malta disagrees with lowering the driving license age to 17 for car licence holders, also known as the accompanied driving scheme. This was stated by Minister Aaron Farrugia during the Transport Council of Ministers in Brussels, adding that this decision contradicts Malta’s safety, congestion, and decarbonisation efforts.
Despite most other Member States supporting the proposal, Malta withheld its support for this proposal, which will now be negotiated with the European Parliament. The mandatory lowering of the driving licence age for car licence holders was a significant point of contention, and Minister Farrugia argued that this decision should remain at the discretion of individual Member States.
Regarding the road safety package, Malta appreciates the improved cross-border exchange of information on road safety offences and other measures such as zero-tolerance on drink-driving and updated testing rules.
The Council adopted a General Approach on seven proposals within the Maritime Safety, Green Freight, and Road Safety packages, also discussing amendments to breaks and rest periods in occasional passenger transport services.
Additionally, Malta together with Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, and Portugal, reiterated concerns about the EU-ETS legislation’s impact on the maritime sector and the risk of carbon leakage. In a letter to Commissioners Šefčovič, Valean, and Hoekstra, they called for urgent corrective measures, ex-ante and not ex-post, to mitigate the adverse effects on EU ports and Member States’ economies, as well as monitor evasive trends and market behaviour.
Minister Farrugia highlighted the importance of balance in the ETS Maritime in ongoing negotiations. Malta acknowledged the consideration of its concerns in the Maritime Safety Package, emphasising the need to balance EU shipping sector competitiveness with a safe, secure, and environmentally friendly maritime transport sector.
