EU Takes Joint Step for Cross-Border Autonomous Vehicles

Eighteen European Union member states signed a joint declaration of intent on June 8, 2026, in Luxembourg during the Transport Council meeting to establish cross-border testing zones for driverless vehicles. The declaration, published by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE), was joined by Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden.

This non-binding declaration aims to set common goals and coordination principles for the deployment of autonomous vehicles across Europe. Considered within the scope of the European Automotive Action Plan, the initiative seeks to pave the way for the harmonized rollout of autonomous vehicles throughout the EU.

DG MOVE is structuring its efforts around two main pillars. First is the establishment of common standards for the authorization and approval processes of autonomous vehicles. The second focuses on implementing concrete use cases, particularly in public transport, freight transportation, and logistics.

The declaration is shaped around three core operational objectives. First, it aims to enhance alignment between national regulations by adopting coordinated approaches to approval procedures. Second, it focuses on cross-border corridors to facilitate large-scale testing and pre-commercial deployment. Third, it seeks to create a more predictable regulatory environment for industry stakeholders and operators, thereby strengthening the competitiveness of Europe’s autonomous vehicle ecosystem.

Cross-Border Corridors for Autonomous Trucks

From a regulatory perspective, the declaration does not foresee any changes to the authority of national bodies. Approval processes for road traffic will remain under the responsibility of individual countries, while the European Commission prefers a framework based on “common principles” and “coordinated authorization processes” rather than a single uniform regulation. In this context, cross-border autonomous vehicle operations—including truck platoons planned for international corridors in the short term—are expected to be implemented within pilot projects limited to agreed routes and conditions among participating countries.

On the funding side, the European Commission announced that €20 million has been allocated under the 2026 Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program for digital infrastructure supporting autonomous driving. This budget aims to support pilot projects, particularly for 5G-enabled cross-border corridors and connected vehicle infrastructure.

Considered one of the cornerstones of the autonomous revolution in road transport, this initiative was developed under the leadership of Germany, France, and Luxembourg. German Transport Minister Patrick Schnieder emphasized that autonomous technologies are critical for efficiency, safety, and sustainability.

Source: TrasportoEuropa