ETSC welcomes European Parliament support for roadworthiness tests for more motorcycles

ETSC has welcomed a European Parliament report by German European People’s Party MEP Jens Gieseke, which calls for a significant expansion of the categories of motorcycles required to undergo regular technical testing.  But while the report makes strides in motorcycle safety, it leaves a significant gap in the protection of older passenger cars and vans.

Under current EU law, mandatory periodic technical inspections (PTI) only apply to motorcycles with an engine capacity over 125cc. This represents a mere 28% of the total EU motorcycle fleet.

Jens Gieseke, the MEP in charge of the European Parliament’s position on the new legislation, supports extending these mandatory checks to motorcycles between 50 cc and 125 cc. This expansion would cover an additional 42% of the motorcycle fleet.  ETSC welcomes this expansion of the scope. 

However, ETSC is concerned about the report’s stance on car and van inspections. The European Commission had originally proposed increasing the frequency of tests for vehicles over ten years old, moving from biennial to mandatory annual checks.

Older vehicles are more likely to suffer from technical defects. Despite this, the Gieseke report mirrors the conservative approach taken by EU Transport Ministers in December 2025, opting to maintain the current, less frequent testing schedule. ETSC says that for a European vehicle fleet whose average age is increasing, annual check-ups are a necessity.

The Gieseke report also failed to add mandatory checks for new assisted driving systems and ensure the checks proposed for automated driving systems will capture all future variations of such systems, gaps ETSC identified in the Commission’s proposal. Moreover, automated driving systems – such as Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) – rely on a ‘Data Storage System for Automated Driving’ (DSSAD) to record who is in control and provide evidence for crash investigations. To future-proof this legislation and ensure legal accountability, ETSC argues these systems must be included in the periodic inspection requirements.

Following the Commission’s proposal in early 2025 and the Council’s position in late 2025, the file is now being debated within the European Parliament’s Transport (TRAN) Committee with a vote due in March.

Once the Parliament adopts its final position, “trilogue” negotiations between the Parliament, Council, and Commission will begin. ETSC is calling on MEPs to reinstate the Commission’s original ambition for older vehicles and to ensure that no motorcycle – regardless of its engine size – is exempt from basic periodic safety testing.