Just got an e mail from the car hire company I used this year, which for some reason I can't copy and paste on to here(!), so quick prece.
From above date, the paper part of your driving licence is being abolished. The hire company has checked with their colleagues around the world (500+) and apparently you may need a pass code (like a PIN number) to hire a car abroad. Go to
https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence and click 'View now' then enter your driver number (on licence), NI number and postcode. This will generate a passcode on the next page which is valid for 72 hours (so do it just before you leave). To view the code, go to the top right tab 'Share your licence information' and click on the green 'create a code' box.
Hope thats all as clear as mud!