DfT does not intend to amend UK law in respect of the Vnuk case

Published: 22/02/2021

The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs welcomes the announcement from the Department for Transport that it does not intend to amend UK law to widen the requirement for insurance of motor vehicles to include activities on private land, which could have resulted from the decision of the European Court of Justice in respect of the “Vnuk” case. The Vnuk incident occurred in Slovenia in 2007.

This would of course have had the effect of requiring widespread insurance of motorsport activities taking place on private land, for which motor insurance is not currently required.

The full extent of this requirement within the countries of the EU will not be clear until finalisation of revisions to the European Motor Insurance Directive, which are continuing.

However, the removal in the UK, as a result of our departure from the EU, of any risk to motor sport arising from high insurance premiums or, in some cases, possible refusal of insurance, comes as a relief to all of those participating in historic motor sport in the UK.

The Federation of course participated directly in discussions with the insurance industry and with Government when the issue first arose.

The Federation has also been active within FIVA in its efforts, which at the time of the UK departure from the EU were achieving a measure of success, supporting limitations of the harmful effects of the revised Motor Insurance Directive on our motor sporting friends within the EU.