Directive 2003/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

Article 5 Initial qualification

1. Access to an initial qualification shall not require the corresponding driving licence to be obtained beforehand.

2. Drivers of a vehicle intended for the carriage of goods may drive:

(a) from the age of 18:

(i)

a vehicle in licence categories C and C+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(1);

(ii)

a vehicle in licence categories C1 and C1+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(2);

(b) from the age of 21, a vehicle in licence categories C and C+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(2).

3. Drivers of a vehicle intended for the carriage of passengers may drive:

(a) from the age of 21:

(i)

a vehicle in licence categories D and D+E to carry passengers on regular services where the route does not exceed 50 kilometres and a vehicle in licence categories D1 and D1+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(2).

Any Member State may authorise drivers of vehicles in one of the abovementioned categories to drive such vehicles within its territory from the age of 18, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(1);

(ii)

a vehicle in licence categories D and D+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(1).

Any Member State may authorise drivers of vehicles in one of the abovementioned categories to drive such vehicles within its territory from the age of 20, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(1). This may be reduced to the age of 18 where the driver drives such vehicles without passengers;

(b) from the age of 23, a vehicle in licence categories D and D+E, provided they hold a CPC as referred to in Article 6(2).

4. Without prejudice to the age limits specified in paragraph 2, drivers undertaking carriage of goods who hold a CPC as provided for in Article 6 for one of the categories provided for in paragraph 2 of this Article shall be exempted from obtaining such a CPC for any other of the categories of vehicles referred to in that paragraph.

These provisions shall apply under the same conditions to drivers undertaking carriage of passengers in the categories referred to in paragraph 3.

5. Drivers undertaking carriage of goods who broaden or modify their activities in order to carry passengers, or vice versa, and who hold a CPC as provided for in Article 6, shall not be required to repeat the common parts of the initial qualification, but rather only the parts specific to the new qualification.