The event, held under the title “The New Driving Licence Directive: How Civil Society is Shaping the Future of Road Safety in the EU,” was structured around three core themes — training, disability, and vulnerable road users — reflecting the areas where EFA has been most active in recent years at both national and European level.

The morning session on training featured contributions on CPR in driving schools, hazard perception, neuroscience-based approaches to safe driving, and periodic training for licence holders. The disability session that followed brought together experts from Germany, France, and Italy to share best practices on training instructors, using simulators for people with reduced mobility, and supporting deaf learners. The afternoon closed with a session on vulnerable road users, including perspectives from Belgium, Spain, and grassroots Italian initiatives involving young people.

Manuel Picardi, EFA General Secretary, expressed satisfaction with the outcome: “We are very pleased with how the event went. We brought together several European countries — France, Spain, Germany and Belgium — to share how their training systems have helped shape the new Driving Licence Directive, and to illustrate how we hope these models can be introduced in Italy in the coming years. We structured the day around three specific themes: training, disability, and vulnerable road users. These are the areas where EFA has been working with the greatest determination in recent years, and where it has achieved significant results at international and institutional level.”

The presence of MEPs Carlo Fidanza and Francesco Torselli, alongside a video message from Claire Depré, Head of Unit at DG Move of the European Commission, underlined the political relevance of the debate and the growing recognition of civil society’s role in shaping EU road safety policy.

Manuel Picardi, Secretary General of the European Federation of Driving Instructors (EFA), expressed his satisfaction: “We are very pleased to have finally launched these courses. Despite some technical delays, we are moving in the right direction. We hope to set an example for driving instructors across Europe. The European institutions recognize the importance of this training in the process of obtaining a driving license, and they are considering the possibility of introducing a CPR training module. Driving instructors should be the ones authorized to provide this essential training.”

Federico Semeraro, Chair Elect of the European Resuscitation Council, shared his enthusiasm for this pivotal initiative in Italy, stating, “I am very happy about this first step to implement a European vision.”