Over 3 million vehicles disappear from registration systems in the EU annually.

Omissions

• The claim does not cite a specific year or data source. The 'more than 3 million' figure appears to be an annual average estimate used by EU institutions rather than a precise annual measurement.
• The European Commission and Council of the EU both use 'around 3.5 million' as the estimated number of vehicles that vanish from EU roads annually, meaning the claim's lower bound of 'more than 3 million' understates the actual estimated magnitude.
• The Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency) study from 2020 estimated the number of missing end-of-life vehicles at between 3.4 and 4.7 million per year, suggesting the true figure could be substantially higher than the 3.5 million cited by the Commission.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – EnvironmentAround 3.5 million vehicles disappear without a trace from EU roads each year – and are exported, or disposed of illegally.
• PrimaryCouncil of the European UnionAround 3.5 million vehicles disappear without a trace from EU roads each year – and are exported, dismantled or disposed of illegally.
• PrimaryUmweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency)6 million end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) are disposed of in the EU each year according to Eurostat statistics. Fate of an additional 3.4 to 4.7 million vehicles remains unaccounted for.