The CDU seeks to stop a planned annual inspection requirement for older cars that the European Union intends to impose. According to a recommendation published in the “Rheinische Post” on Friday, the party’s federal convention scheduled for February 20-21 in Stuttgart will vote on an motion that argues the existing inspection intervals in Germany should not be shortened.
The European Commission’s proposal would mandate that every vehicle older than ten years undergo a yearly technical safety check. The motion, submitted by the Hamburg state branch of the CDU, argues that the Commission’s suggestion would impose “very high additional costs on a very large number of German car owners”. It points out that the average passenger car in Germany is 10.6 years old, and that halving the inspection period would affect more than 23 million vehicles nationwide. The motion also stresses that low‑income households rely disproportionately on older cars and spend a larger share of their income on transportation; such households would be particularly harmed by the new rule.
So far, no evidence has been presented that shortening the intervals for the mandatory vehicle inspection (the Hauptuntersuchung, HU) would lead to a significant improvement in road safety. In Germany, the HU-including the emissions test (Abgasuntersuchung, AU)-is required every 24 months, and for new cars every 36 months.
