On Thursday 5 May, the members of the Council of the EU’s Working Party on ‘Transport - Intermodal Questions and Networks’ examined the new version of the French Presidency’s compromise text on the framework for the deployment of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in road transport (see EUROPE 12931/3).
Few changes have been made compared to the previous version of the compromise text. The French Presidency first of all stresses the need to respect the principle of technological neutrality and emphasises that the focus should be on ensuring that intelligent transport systems “neither impose nor discriminate in favour of” the use of a particular type of technology.
In this context, the text specifies that, if cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) technologies - which allow connected vehicles to communicate with each other - that are “complementary, reliable and real-life tested...can be used, coexistent applications should be enabled”.
In addition, the need to test new technologies - especially C-ITS - under real conditions is also emphasised.
Moreover, the compromise text also clarifies the additional power of the European Commission if the integrity of ITS services is compromised and could, for example, lead vehicles to perform manoeuvres that endanger road users and could have a knock-on effect on the EU’s transport system.
In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of the Directive, the text confers implementing powers on the Commission when “intervention at Union level is urgently needed to ensure a safe and proper functioning of the Union transport system or road safety” through the adoption of countermeasures.
See the document: https://aeur.eu/f/1k1 (Original version in French by Thomas Mangin)