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DRIVING

7 things to know about the change to France’s ‘carte verte’ car insurance

Motorists in France will no longer have to show the green insurance card (carte verte) in their windshield starting in April. But what's replacing it?

Published: 18 March 2024 10:42 CET
7 things to know about the change to France's 'carte verte' car insurance
A French gendarme checks the driving licence of a motorist in Noyal-Chatillon-sur-Seiche in western France on October 17, 2019. (Photo by Damien MEYER / AFP)

When will this go into effect?

The changes will start on April 1st – at that point, only electric scooters will need to have the physical green insurance sticker displayed. 

READ MORE: France to end rule on insurance ‘green cards’

How will police verify my insurance status?

They will use a new digital system. This allows them to check a driver’s insurance using their licence plate and by verifying information in the file of insured vehicles (FAV) – which has been accessible to law enforcement since 2019.

Insurance companies are required to update the register every 72 hours. 

This means that drivers will no longer have any insurance paperwork to present when pulled over by police, as it will be up to the officer to consult their file using the online system.

How do you know if your car is registered on the online file of insured vehicles?

Car owners can check that their vehicles are listed on the file, which is maintained by the Association pour la gestion des informations sur le risque en assurance, by connecting to the ‘Fichier des véhicules assurés’ website, www.fva-assurance.fr, clicking the ‘Consulter le FVA’ tab and following the instructions.

What if you are not on the list?

If you change your insurance plan, beware that it can take 72 hours for the FAV to update. This means that during those first few days, you will need to present your Insured Vehicle Memo (Mémo Véhicule Assuré) to the police officer.

This is a document that is provided by an insurer when taking out a new contract.

Insurers will be sending out this document to motorists in the coming weeks, to aid with the transition period after the end of the carte verte in April. It will be a small card that you can carry with you.

Some providers may allow you to download or access it online too.

What do you do if you were classified as ‘uninsured’ during a police stop?

If your vehicle is classified as uninsured after being pulled over – whether correctly or incorrectly – you will have 45 days to appeal, either by post or online, to the National Agency for the Automated Processing of Offenses (ANTAI).

What if I am involved in an accident?

Technically, you still will not need the carte verte, as police would be able to access your information on the online file.

That being said, you may want to carry your Insured Vehicle Memo in the off-chance you are not listed in the insured vehicles file. It also contains the necessary information you would need to complete a report after an accident.

What if I am driving outside of France?

If you are planning to drive in the EU/EEA, you do not need to worry. Police officers in these countries will also be able to consult your insurance information in the online file by checking your licence plate, according to the insurance section for Société Générale.

However, if you are going outside of the EU – to a country like Albania or Morocco, it would be wise to consult local rules and, if needed, ask for the ‘International Motor Insurance Card’ (Carte internationale d’assurance automobile) from your insurer before your departure.

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For members

DRIVING

EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

The EU has agreed to extend the number of driving offences for which motorists from other member states can be fined for and to make it easier for authorities to chase up the fines and make foreign drivers pay.

Published: 13 May 2024 17:28 CEST
EU countries to extend range of offences foreign drivers can be fined for

In the last voting session of this term, in April, the European Parliament passed new rules to ensure drivers who breach local traffic rules in another EU member state are found and fined.

The cross-border enforcement (CBE) directive was first adopted in 2015 after it was found that non-resident drivers were more likely to commit speeding offences. The European Commission estimated that in 2008, foreign drivers accounted for about 5 percent of road traffic in the EU but committed around 15 percent of speeding offences.

The directive partially improved the situation, but according to the Commission 40 percent of traffic violations committed in other EU countries are still unpunished “because the offender is not identified or because the fine is not enforced”.

In March 2023, the Commission therefore proposed updating existing measures.

New rules extend the type of offences that will trigger assistance from another member state and seek to improve collaboration among national authorities to identify and fine offenders.

The European Parliament and Council agreed in March on the final text of the directive, which is now being formally approved by the two institutions.

André Sobczak, Secretary-General at Eurocities, a group representing European cities in Brussels, said: “While the final outcome of the discussions is not ideal, we are pleased that EU policymakers have at least put the issue of the enforcement of local traffic rules on foreign vehicles on the table. As we approach an election year, I believe such a practical example can demonstrate why a European approach is necessary to address local issues.”

Which traffic offences are covered?

The previous directive covered eight driving misconducts that would require member states to cooperate: speeding, not wearing seat belts, failing to stop at a red traffic light, drink-driving, driving under the effect of drugs, not wearing a helmet (motorcycles / scooters), using a forbidden lane and using a mobile phone or other communication devices while driving.

The Commission proposed to add to the list not keeping a safe distance from the vehicle in front, dangerous overtaking, dangerous parking, crossing one or more solid white lines, driving the wrong way down a one way street, not respecting the rules on “emergency corridors” (a clear lane intended for priority vehicles), and using an overloaded vehicle.

The Parliament and Council agreed to these and added more offences: not giving way to emergency service vehicles, not respecting access restrictions or rules at a rail crossings, as well as hit-and-run offences.

Despite calls from European cities, the new directive does not cover offences related to foreign drivers avoiding congestion charges or low emission zones. In such cases, information about vehicle registration can only be shared among countries with bilateral agreements.

Karen Vancluysen, Secretary General at POLIS, a network of cities and regions working on urban transport, called on the next European Commission to take other local traffic offences, such as breaches of low emission zones, “fully at heart”.

Collaboration among national authorities

For the traffic violations covered by the directive, EU countries have to help each other to find the liable driver. The new directive further clarifies how.

Member states will have to use the European vehicle and driving licence information system (Eucaris) to get the data of the offender.

National authorities will have 11 months from the date of the violation to issue the fine to a vehicle from another EU member state. However, they will not have to resort to agencies or private entities to collect the fine. This was requested by the European Parliament to avoid scams or leaks of personal data.

Authorities in the country of the offender will have to reply to requests from another EU member state within two months.

When the amount of the fine is more than €70, and all options to have it paid have been exhausted, the member state where the violation occurred can ask the country of the offender to take over the collection.

The person concerned will be able to request follow-up documents in a different official EU language.

When will the new rules will be enforced?

Now that the EU Parliament has passed the law, the EU Council has to do the same, although there is no date set for when that will happen. Once the directive is adopted, EU countries will have 30 months to prepare for implementation.

Last year the Commission also proposed a new directive on driving licenses, but negotiations on the final text of this file will only take place after the European elections.

This article has been produced in collaboration with Europe Street news.

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