Drivers will be punished for traffic offences they commit abroad, including the four "big killers" causing 75% of road fatalities - speeding, breaking traffic lights, failure to use seatbelts and drink driving - following an agreement by EU Transport Ministers meeting.

European Commission Vice President Siim Kallas, responsible for Transport said. "A foreign driver is three times more likely to commit an offence than a resident driver. Many people seem to think that when they go abroad the rules no longer apply to them. My message is that they do apply and now we are going to apply them." 
EU figures suggest that foreign drivers account for 5% of traffic but around 15 % of speeding offences. Most go unpunished, with countries unable to pursue drivers once they return home.

The proposals would enable EU drivers to be identified and thus prosecuted for offences committed in a Member State other than the one where their car is registered. In practical terms, the new rules will allow for an electronic data exchange network to be put in place to allow for the exchange of the necessary data between the country in which the offence was committed and the country in which the car was registered.

It will be for the Member State of offence (where the offence was committed) to decide on the follow up for the traffic offence. The Directive does not harmonise either the nature of the offence nor the penalties for the offence. So it is the national rules in the Member State of offence, according to national law, which will continue to apply regarding both the nature of the offence and penalties.                                                                                                                                                                              

so if you're speeding in Croatia and you get a ticket when you arrive back home, can they tell you to go to COURT in Croatia?  Which of course is a long way away                                                                                                                                                                             

More to the point is this just going to be uk driver getting done in europe and the uk police just saying its to much trouble to try and trace them a thay do now                                                                                                                                                                              

I think they will be able to Matt, yes.                                                                                                                                                                             

afaik theres only us that has points system and counterpart licenses so we wont be able to put points on foreign licences and they wont be able to put them on ours. so its fine and ban                                                                                                                                                                             

They have points on German licences although there is no counterpart. In Germany you can have up to 15 points.                                                                                                                                                                             

i think they have points on all EU licences dont they. ROI have them on theirs since 2009 and it now applies cross border since early 2010 so if you get caught speeding sown south you get 3 pts on ur NI licence.  oh course they have to catch you and stop you as they dont have any static speed cameras that work!                                                                                                                                                                              

Not sure about the rest of Europe but i should imagine it would be standard in all EU Countries now. Matt should be able to confirm about the Netherlands. He might even have some.