Cross-border testing of autonomous cars becomes reality
During the IAA in Frankfurt, European Commissioners Oettinger, Bulc and Gabriel welcomed commitment by several EU Member States to engage in cross-border testing of automated driving. In a joint statement, the Commissioners announced that “Member States and industry commit to cross-border testing in Finland, Norway and Sweden. These new tests will complement tests already taking place between Germany, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain. We soon expect more Member States to make commitments to such tests. Member States have also tasked the Commission to develop a common European approach to testing, to ensure that smart vehicles can travel smoothly across Europe.” The corridors thus-far agreed are the following:
- Metz (FR) – Merzig (DE) – Luxembourg (LX)
- Rotterdam (NL) – Antwerp (BE) – Eindhoven (NL)
- Porto (PT) – Vigo (ES) and Merida (ES) – Evora (PT)
- Tromsø (NW) and Oulu (FI)
- The “Nordic Way” (SW, FI, NW)
These tests are a first salient return on the conclusions agreed on by the member states in Amsterdam and a subsequent Letter of Intent prepared at the beginning of the year. The Commissioners also emphasised the policy dimension of these cross-border corridors: ” We have an opportunity we cannot miss: Europe can lead in the field of connected mobility, but for this, all Member States and industry have to work together closely and move into the same direction. There is no time to lose … Therefore, we call on co-legislators to act swiftly on all proposals already presented.” In this, the Commission follows up on an earlier report, which outlines the policy gaps that need to be addressed on connected and automated driving.