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1. Each Member State shall introduce the physical version of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities following the common standardised and accessible format set out in Annex II. Member States shall include in the physical version of the card a QR code and any other digital features that use electronic means to prevent and combat fraud as laid down in the delegated acts referred to in paragraph 7, point (a), within a reasonable time after their adoption and not later than 5 June 2028.

2. European Parking Cards for persons with disabilities issued by Member States shall be mutually recognised in all Member States.

3. Competent authorities or bodies in the Member States shall issue, renew or withdraw the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities in accordance with their national rules, procedures and practice. Without prejudice to Regulation (EU) 2016/679, Member States shall ensure the security, integrity, authenticity and confidentiality of the personal data collected and stored for the purpose of this Directive. The competent authority or body responsible for issuing the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities shall be considered to be a controller as defined in Article 4, point (7), of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and shall have responsibility for the processing of personal data. Cooperation with external service providers shall not exclude any liability on the part of a Member State which may arise under Union or national law in respect of non-compliance with obligations with regard to personal data.

4. The European Parking Card for persons with disabilities shall be issued or renewed by the Member State of residence upon application by the person with disabilities or by an authorised person, under national law. It shall be issued or renewed within a reasonable period from the date of the application which shall not exceed 90 days, unless required assessments are ongoing. Member States may issue and renew the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities free of charge or charge a fee for the costs relating to its issuance and renewal. Where such a fee is charged, Member States shall ensure that the fee does not exceed the administrative costs concerned or prevent or discourage persons with disabilities from requesting the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.

5. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities replaces all existing parking cards for persons with disabilities issued in accordance with Recommendation 98/376/EC at national, regional or local level upon the beneficiary’s request for its issuance, and in any case by 5 December 2029. Until that date, Member States may allow parking cards for persons with disabilities issued before 5 June 2028 in accordance with Recommendation 98/376/EC to have the same effect in their territory as the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities.

6. The European Parking Card for persons with disabilities shall be issued or renewed as a physical version. Member States may decide to complement the physical version of the card by a digital version after the Commission has laid down the technical specifications referred to in Article 9(2). In Member States where the physical version of the card is complemented by a digital version, persons with disabilities may request the card in the physical version, and if they so wish, in both the physical and the digital versions. The digital version shall not contain more personal data than those provided for the physical version as set out in Annex II. The personal data contained in that digital version shall be encrypted and technical precautions shall be taken to ensure that the storage medium is read only by authorised users.

7. By 5 December 2025, the Commission shall adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 14 to supplement this Directive by:

(a) setting the QR code and, if appropriate, other state-of-the-art digital features that use electronic means for the physical version of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, to prevent and combat fraud; and (b) establishing common technical specifications that ensure the security of the physical version of the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities, including the appropriate security measures for personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, as well as interoperability matters, such as common Union applications for reading data contained in digital features in the physical version of the card that use electronic means to prevent and combat fraud.

8. The Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 14 to amend this Directive by modifying the data fields of the standardised format for the European Parking Card for persons with disabilities set out in Annex II where such modifications are necessary to adapt the format to technical developments, to prevent forgery and fraud, to address abuse or misuse or to ensure interoperability. In those delegated acts, Member States shall be given sufficient time to implement such modifications.