EU car rules 2026: licences, Euro 7 and safety upgrades
EU driving changes in 2026: licence swap, Euro 7, ADAS
EU car rules 2026: licences, Euro 7 and safety upgrades
Discover what’s new for EU drivers in 2026: licence swap deadlines, Euro 6e/7 emissions, tire and brake wear limits, ADAS and eCall, plus NIS2 cyber rules.
2025-12-22T19:17:46+03:00
2025-12-22T19:17:46+03:00
2025-12-22T19:17:46+03:00
According to TÜV-Verband, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy regulatory year for drivers, vehicle owners and carmakers across Europe. SPEEDME.RU’s experts took a closer look at what’s changing.A key date for some motorists is 19 January 2026: those who received paper driving licences in 1999–2001 will need to swap them for an EU-format plastic card. Vehicle inspections will also feature a new brown HU sticker showing validity through 2028.Technical standards for new cars are shifting as well. From January 2026, the next step Euro 6e applies to first-time registrations of passenger cars, and from November 2026 Euro 7 will be introduced for new type approvals. For the first time, regulation will factor in emissions from tire and brake wear, and new durability requirements will apply to traction batteries in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids—signalling a broader focus than just tailpipe emissions.From July 2026, only models with expanded driver-assistance systems will be eligible for new registrations: Intelligent Speed Assistance, emergency lane keeping and more advanced automatic emergency braking move into the standard kit. Next-Generation eCall will also be mandatory for new vehicle types, effectively raising the baseline for safety and connectivity.In parallel, rules for AI and IT are tightening. From August 2026, AI-generated content must be labeled, and under NIS2, cybersecurity incidents will have to be reported within 24 hours—clear steps toward more transparency and faster response.
EU car regulations 2026, Euro 7, Euro 6e, licence swap, ADAS, Intelligent Speed Assistance, emergency lane keeping, eCall, tire and brake emissions, EV battery durability, NIS2, AI labeling
2025
Michael Powers
news
EU driving changes in 2026: licence swap, Euro 7, ADAS
Discover what’s new for EU drivers in 2026: licence swap deadlines, Euro 6e/7 emissions, tire and brake wear limits, ADAS and eCall, plus NIS2 cyber rules.
Michael Powers, Editor
According to TÜV-Verband, 2026 is shaping up to be a busy regulatory year for drivers, vehicle owners and carmakers across Europe. SPEEDME.RU’s experts took a closer look at what’s changing.
A key date for some motorists is 19 January 2026: those who received paper driving licences in 1999–2001 will need to swap them for an EU-format plastic card. Vehicle inspections will also feature a new brown HU sticker showing validity through 2028.
Technical standards for new cars are shifting as well. From January 2026, the next step Euro 6e applies to first-time registrations of passenger cars, and from November 2026 Euro 7 will be introduced for new type approvals. For the first time, regulation will factor in emissions from tire and brake wear, and new durability requirements will apply to traction batteries in electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids—signalling a broader focus than just tailpipe emissions.
From July 2026, only models with expanded driver-assistance systems will be eligible for new registrations: Intelligent Speed Assistance, emergency lane keeping and more advanced automatic emergency braking move into the standard kit. Next-Generation eCall will also be mandatory for new vehicle types, effectively raising the baseline for safety and connectivity.
In parallel, rules for AI and IT are tightening. From August 2026, AI-generated content must be labeled, and under NIS2, cybersecurity incidents will have to be reported within 24 hours—clear steps toward more transparency and faster response.
