(de-news.net) – A proposal advanced at the European Union level to introduce mandatory annual technical inspections for older passenger vehicles has been formally opposed by the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). In a motion recommended for adoption at the party’s federal convention in Stuttgart on February 20–21, the CDU asserts that the inspection intervals currently prescribed under German law should not be shortened. The party frames its position as a direct response to a reform initiative by the European Commission, which seeks to require yearly roadworthiness inspections for all passenger cars that are more than ten years old.
According to the CDU’s Hamburg state association, the proposed reform would generate substantial additional financial burdens for a large segment of German motorists. Given that the average passenger vehicle in Germany is now more than a decade old, halving the existing inspection interval would affect more than 23 million cars nationwide. The motion further emphasizes the distributional consequences of such a change, arguing that lower-income households would be disproportionately impacted. These households, it maintains, are more likely to depend on older vehicles and already allocate a comparatively higher share of their income to mobility-related expenses.
In addition to these socioeconomic concerns, the CDU questions the evidentiary basis of the proposal, stating that there is no robust empirical proof that shortening the inspection cycle for mandatory roadworthiness tests leads to a measurable improvement in traffic safety outcomes. Under the current regulatory framework in Germany, vehicles are generally required to undergo a major inspection, including an emissions test, every 24 months, while new cars are exempt from this requirement for their first 36 months of operation.
Debate set against broader vehicle safety reforms
The controversy unfolds within a broader context of increasingly stringent vehicle inspection rules introduced since 2025. Alongside existing national roadworthiness requirements, renewed discussions at the EU level have revived plans to impose annual inspections on passenger cars and light commercial vehicles once they exceed ten years of age. This approach has drawn criticism from Germany’s automobile club ADAC, which has characterized the measure as disproportionate relative to its anticipated safety benefits. At the same time, the regulatory environment has tightened in other areas, particularly with respect to recreational vehicles equipped with permanently installed liquefied gas systems. Following the expiration of a transitional period in mid-2025, these vehicles became subject to mandatory gas safety inspections at two-year intervals.
Under the revised rules, inspections must be carried out by certified professionals operating through recognized inspection centers, specialized workshops, or authorized mobile services. The examination encompasses the entire gas system, including lines, fittings, safety valves, and ventilation components, with the aim of verifying both structural integrity and functional reliability. The justification for this requirement is explicitly grounded in risk prevention, as aging or inadequately maintained gas systems are regarded as posing a significant safety hazard.
Unlike the previous regime, in which such inspections were required only under narrowly defined circumstances, the new regulations apply comprehensively and take immediate effect for vehicles that have not yet been inspected. Failure to comply constitutes an administrative offense, subject to relatively modest fines that escalate with the duration of noncompliance, while overdue general inspections may trigger higher penalties and the assignment of a penalty point to the driver’s official record.
