DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN REGULATION OF E-SCOOTERS ACROSS THE EU

Abstract

The commercial use of e-scooters began between 2017 and 2018 in North America, where large-scale e-scooter sharing systems began to take hold. Due to their speed and convenience, the expansion of these systems quickly spread to major European cities as well. During the COVID-19 pandemic, sales of e-scooters also increased for individual purposes, as individuals were looking for an alternative to public transit. As a result, e-scooters have rapidly integrated into urban micromobility across the European Union and worldwide. The use of e-scooters by different age groups and for various purposes indicates widespread adoption. Even so, there is currently no binding framework at the EU level regulating their use in traffic. Most e-scooters do not fall under the scope of Regulation (EU) No 168/2013 on vehicle type-approval but are treated as products for sale on the internal market because their characteristics, especially power and speed, are lower than the Directive presumes for powered two wheelers like mopeds. Therefore, key aspects of traffic regulation, including age restrictions, the use of protective equipment, speed limits, insurance, and registration, depend on the individual EU Member State. This article presents a comparative analysis of specific areas of traffic legislation in all 27 EU member states. The analysis covers the areas of legislation stated above: age restrictions, the use of protective equipment, speed limits, insurance, and registration. Each specific area of legislation was categorized and classified at the national level. This breakdown allows us to see where legislation is harmonized across countries and where more significant discrepancies exist. The findings highlight discrepancies in regulations, with none of the areas of legislation under consideration exhibiting uniform rules across the entire EU. This fragmentation of legislation has consequences for road safety, cross-border mobility, and micromobility policy in urban environments. With the introduction of harmonized legislative framework for the use of e-scooters across the EU, the current consequences could be mitigated.