Author - Daniele D'Onofrio

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Yesterday, 19 March 2026, CITA hosted a high-level event at the European Parliament’s Info Hub in Brussels under the auspices of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The discussion brought together policymakers, researchers, and technical experts to explore how the EU Roadworthiness Package can strengthen road safety and environmental protection across Europe.

The event took place in the context of the European Parliament’s ongoing examination of the Roadworthiness Package and focused particularly on the enforcement dimension of vehicle compliance, including the role of periodic roadworthiness testing and recall campaigns in ensuring that vehicles remain safe and environmentally compliant throughout their operational life.

The event opened with institutional keynote remarks from John Albrecht (European Parliament, DG COMM Multipliers Outreach Unit), Gerhard Müller (President of CITA), and George Louka (Director of the Road Transport Department of Cyprus).

Speakers highlighted the growing importance of effective vehicle compliance mechanisms in achieving the EU’s road safety and environmental objectives. With the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 approaching its midpoint, the discussion emphasised the need to reinforce policies that ensure vehicles circulating on European roads remain safe, well maintained and compliant with emission standards.

The technical session provided insights into both regulatory implementation and research evidence:

• Iosif Miltiadous, Senior Mechanical Engineer at the Cyprus Road Transport Department, presented key elements of the Roadworthiness Package and its implications for vehicle inspection systems. His presentation highlighted how revised rules aim to address modern vehicle technologies, including electric vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), and digital safety systems, while strengthening emissions testing and recall verification mechanisms.
• Prof. Wolfgang H. Schulz (Zeppelin University) presented research on the economic and systemic role of periodic technical inspections (PTI). Drawing on international studies, he demonstrated how inspection systems contribute to road safety, reduce accident risks, and generate broader economic benefits through improved vehicle maintenance and reduced crash costs.
• Dr. Mervyn Edwards (Transport Research Laboratory, UK) shared findings on the relationship between vehicle defects identified during roadworthiness inspections and those detected during collision investigations. The research suggests that many safety-critical vehicle defects may remain undetected in standard collision analyses, underlining the importance of systematic vehicle inspections to identify potentially dangerous faults before accidents occur.

The event concluded with a panel discussion and exchange of views involving Marian Rybiansky (Member of the CITA Bureau Permanent), Servi Beckers (Association of EU Vehicle and Driver Registration Authorities – EReg), Prof. Wolfgang H. Schulz, Dr. Mervyn Edwards, and Iosif Miltiadous.

Participants discussed how improved cooperation between vehicle registration authorities, inspection bodies, manufacturers and regulators can enhance enforcement of vehicle compliance across the EU. Key themes included data sharing, integration of safety recall checks into inspection regimes, and the role of digital tools in supporting cross-border enforcement.

Throughout the event, speakers emphasized that ensuring vehicle compliance over the entire vehicle lifecycle is essential for delivering the full safety and environmental benefits of EU legislation. By bringing together expertise from policymakers, researchers and inspection authorities, the conference contributed valuable insights to the European Parliament’s deliberations on the Roadworthiness Package. The event closed with remarks from George Louka and Gerhard Müller, reaffirming CITA’s commitment to supporting EU institutions in developing effective, evidence-based policies that keep vehicles safe, clean and compliant throughout their lifetime.

Following the discussion, participants continued their exchanges during a networking lunch in Brussels.

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On 17–18 March 2026, CITA members and invited experts gathered in Brussels for the CITA RAG Europe Conference 2026, a key annual meeting of the European Regional Advisory Group (RAG) of CITA. The conference attracted a very strong participation from across Europe, with the meeting room filled to capacity with representatives from inspection organisations, authorities, technical experts and stakeholders from across the vehicle compliance ecosystem.

The two-day event provided an important forum for expert analysis, exchange of views and strategic discussions on the evolving challenges facing vehicle inspection systems, authorities and operators in Europe.

The conference was opened by CITA President Gerhard Müller, who welcomed participants and emphasised the importance of maintaining a human-centred approach to mobility as technology continues to transform vehicles and transport systems. While automation, electrification, connectivity and artificial intelligence are reshaping the automotive landscape, he stressed that innovation must serve society, ensuring that mobility remains safe, inclusive and environmentally sustainable. He highlighted that the work of vehicle inspection organisations plays a critical role in maintaining public trust in new technologies and ensuring vehicles remain safe and environmentally compliant throughout their lifecycle.

The President also underlined the importance of continuing efforts to improve road safety worldwide, noting that the objectives of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety remain challenging and require stronger commitment from all stakeholders.

Throughout the conference, participants reviewed the latest developments affecting vehicle compliance and roadworthiness systems in Europe. Discussions on the first afternoon focused on strategic and regulatory developments, including:

• The revision of the EU Roadworthiness Package and its implications for vehicle inspections in Europe
• Technical findings on vehicle defects and their impact on road safety
• Updates on vehicle data access, including the revision of Annex X of Regulation (EU) 2018/858, developments regarding the eCall Regulation and the EU Data Act
• New work on software integrity checks throughout the vehicle lifecycle
• Requirements for data access to enable testing of ADAS during periodic technical inspections

Environmental issues were also prominently addressed, with discussions on Euro 7 developments, on-board monitoring, and emerging emission testing approaches, including NOx and remote sensing proposals.

On the evening of 17 March, participants gathered in the centre of Brussels for the official presentation of the CITA Annual Report 2025.

Hosted as an informal networking event, the gathering provided an opportunity for participants to reflect on the key achievements and milestones of the past year, while also discussing future priorities for CITA and its members. The convivial setting encouraged exchanges among colleagues from across Europe and strengthened the sense of community within the CITA family.

The second day of the conference was dedicated to technical developments and operational practices in vehicle inspection. Experts presented ongoing work in CITA Topic Areas and Task Forces covering areas such as:

• Suspension testing methods and automatic play detection technologies
• Developments within UNECE working groups on vehicle inspection
• Electromechanical braking systems and parking lock devices
• AI-powered anomaly detection for inspection processes
• Updates on quality management and the evolution of ISO 17020 standards
• Task force updates on ADAS, electric vehicles and type approval developments

These discussions highlighted how digitalisation and new vehicle technologies are reshaping inspection methods, requiring continuous adaptation of testing procedures and regulatory frameworks.

In his closing remarks, CITA President Gerhard Müller highlighted the strong engagement of CITA members working through Topic Areas and Task Forces, whose collaboration is essential to developing effective inspection solutions for increasingly complex vehicles. He reaffirmed CITA’s commitment to modern, meaningful and impartial vehicle inspections worldwide, ensuring that vehicles remain safe and environmentally sound throughout their lifecycle.

The President also emphasised that implementing the revision of the Roadworthiness Package in line with the European Commission’s proposal will be a key step toward adapting inspection systems to the rapid technological evolution of vehicles.

The CITA RAG Europe Conference 2026 once again demonstrated the importance of cooperation among inspection organisations, authorities and technical experts in addressing the challenges of modern mobility. Through open discussions, technical exchanges and networking among members, the conference reinforced CITA’s role as a global platform for advancing safe and clean road transport.

Participants left Brussels with renewed momentum to continue working together to ensure that vehicle inspection systems remain fit for the future of increasingly digital, automated and electrified vehicles.

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Yesterday, Wednesday 25 February, CITA actively participated in the high-level event entitled “Roadworthiness Package: Leveraging Technology and Innovation for Citizens”, held at the European Parliament in Brussels.

The event, organised by the S&D Group TRAN team together with the offices of MEP Johan Danielsson (S&D TRAN Coordinator) and MEP Sérgio Gonçalves (S&D TRAN Committee Member), brought together policymakers and key stakeholders to discuss how the revision of the EU Roadworthiness Package can harness digitalisation and innovation to deliver tangible benefits for citizens.

CITA was represented by its President, Gerhard Müller, who contributed to the second panel discussion.

Opening the debate, moderators MEP Johan Danielsson and MEP Sérgio Gonçalves stressed that EU legislation plays a crucial role in ensuring that technological progress in the automotive sector works for people — delivering safer roads, cleaner air and greater consumer confidence. Across two panels, representatives from BEUC, ETSC, T&E, the Flanders Environment Agency and CITA explored how innovation, improved data exchange and modernised inspection methods can strengthen road safety and environmental protection throughout the vehicle life-cycle.

The discussions addressed:

• Digitalisation of vehicle registration documents and improved cross-border data exchange
• Tackling odometer fraud
• Ensuring the safe deployment of automated and semi-automated vehicles
• Modernising PTI tests for electric vehicles
• The use of remote sensing technologies to reduce air pollution
• The link between technical inspections and accident prevention

During the second panel, President Gerhard Müller underlined the essential role of PTI in reducing accidents and improving air quality.

Responding to questions on what has been lacking in EU action so far, he emphasised that vehicle inspection is often politically underestimated: "Vehicle inspection is too often perceived as a burden for vehicle owners, while its societal benefits for road safety and environmental protection are overlooked".

He welcomed the Commission’s proposal to harmonise and modernise requirements, noting that many Member States have already introduced higher standards than those currently set in the Directive — such as inspections for two-wheelers, annual inspections for older vehicles, or OBD data read-out via specific interfaces.

A key contribution from CITA concerned the study conducted on the link between technical inspections and accidents. Mr. Müller explained that the study was motivated by the need to move beyond emotional debates and provide objective evidence, particularly in light of discussions on PTI for motorcycles in several Member States: "We wanted to have more facts about the importance of PTI on road safety and thus support an objective discussion". The findings confirm that vehicle safety is a crucial component of overall road safety. All vehicle categories — whether motorcycles (L), passenger cars (M1) or light commercial vehicles (N1) — are subject to wear and tear and potential tampering over time. As vehicle fleets age across Europe, effective inspection systems become even more important.

Mr. Müller stated that the Commission proposal addresses key issues and will make PTI more effective, thereby improving both road safety and air quality. When invited to suggest possible improvements to the proposal, the CITA President highlighted a critical issue: access to vehicle data for inspection purposes.

While welcoming the inclusion of battery testing and ADAS testing in the annexes, he stressed that the current wording — which allows inspections only “where made possible” and “where the necessary data is made available” — is insufficient. For a valid inspection of modern vehicles, this information must be provided by the OEM. It already exists and should be made available for inspection purposes. Ensuring mandatory access to safety-relevant data is essential for checking advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), electric vehicle battery health and other digital components that increasingly define modern vehicles.

The event demonstrated broad recognition among policymakers and stakeholders that the Roadworthiness Package is a crucial opportunity to adapt EU legislation to rapid technological change. CITA will continue to engage constructively with the European Parliament and the Council to ensure that the final legislation delivers safer roads, cleaner air and greater trust for Europe’s citizens.

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