MIB (Motor Insurers' Bureau) has welcomed the release of the European Commission’s document paving the way to amending the Motor Insurance Directive 2009/103/EC.  MIB has been actively seeking this review for some time.

The Commission is undertaking this review, following a case which involved Damijan Vnuk, a Slovenian farmer, who was knocked off a ladder by a tractor trailer. The incident took place on private land on a farm. The Vnuk case has raised questions about the interpretation of the Motor Insurance Directive 2009/103/EC and in particular the scope of the compulsory motor insurance requirements.

Ashton West OBE, Chief Executive at MIB said: “We are pleased that the Commission is undertaking this assessment. It has acknowledged that in Vnuk, the European Court’s interpretation of the insurance requirements are that they go beyond traffic scenarios – which is a clear shift from the original intention of the Directive.  Left to stand, the Vnuk case will give rise to serious issues relating to enforcement, fraud and many others which will impact the motoring public.

“It would seem the law in the UK will still require some amendment to broaden the definition of a ‘motor vehicle’, however, we very much welcome the proposed amendment to clarify the scope of the insurance requirements restricting these to: roads and public places.

“We fully support the Commission’s review because we do not want to see any unravelling of the progress that has been made in tackling uninsured driving. In the last decade we have seen the level of uninsured driving halve to an estimated 1million. This has reduced the levy paid by all insurers, which ultimately benefits the honest premium paying motorist.

 “We are committed to continue to contribute to this important debate and to ensure that we find a solution that offers protection to victims as well as being practicable and enforceable.”

Read Ashton West’s blog for more detail about Vnuk: The unintended consequences of a farmyard misfortune.