EUROPEAN Commission proposals may result in a standardised vehicle registration document for all member countries within the next few years. A spokesman for the Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions said the proposal for a harmonised document was at an early stage.

He added that such a document was unlikely to have a large impact on fleets - other than making documents carried by drivers travelling abroad more easily understood by the authorities of the country they were visiting. However, he said it would help stamp out cross-border theft of documents as authorities in each country could more easily spot problems.

The news comes as the DVLA begins to phase in its own new document, launched in June. It includes for the first time an optional section for voluntary information such as vehicle mileage, but the fleet industry says any new version - such as proposed by Brussels - should make mileage recording mandatory.