Last modified on May 5, 2025
Recommendations for a European Framework for Testing on Public Roads
Regulatory roadmap for Automated driving
The development and deployment of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is a complex process with the ultimate goal of introducing automated driving vehicles (ADVs)1 on public roads. This objective requires meeting three crucial conditions: the establishment of national legislation, a European legal framework supporting ADV deployment, and demonstrating vehicle safety through type approval. Currently, the European Union faces challenges due to the lack of harmonized legislation for ADV testing across member states. This situation creates difficulties for manufacturers and R&D centres, particularly when conducting tests across different regions, as they encounter varying regulatory frameworks. These disparities can lead to increased workload, costs, and obstacles in achieving the final goal of ADV deployment.
The type approval process for autonomous vehicles follows the New Assessment and Testing Methodology (NATM) defined by the UNECE. This methodology employs multiple “pillars” to assess vehicle compliance, including the evaluation of the manufacturer’s safety management system through audits, in-service monitoring and reporting, track testing, virtual testing, and real-world testing.
During the development of an autonomous vehicle, real-world open-road testing occurs multiple times as a prototype, serving two main purposes.
- Validation testing: part of the type-approval process as outlined in regulations such as EU 2022/1426, aims to validate the vehicle’s performance in real-world conditions.
- Development testing: allowing manufacturers to refine and improve the autonomous driving system based on real-world performance and encounters.
FAME recommendations for testing in public road
FAME project is developing recommendations for a European framework for testing automated driving vehicles (ADVs) on public roads. This framework aims to harmonize testing procedures across European Union member states, addressing the current fragmented regulatory landscape which poses challenges for manufacturers and researchers conducting tests.
The final version will be published in February 2025.
Objectives of the recommendations:
- Focus on the process for obtaining authorization for testing, with the goal of simplifying procedures.
- Ensure high-quality evaluation of CCAM through technical safety verifications and assessments.
- Highlight the importance of harmonization across different jurisdictions
- Address key challenges in harmonization, safety, data protection, and ethical considerations.
- Foster collaboration between regulators, industry stakeholders, and researchers, as well as its ability to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of automated driving technology.
Written by Carlos Lujan. Carlos Lujan is an industrial engineer with over 15 years in vehicle homologation, is the Head of Connected and Automated Vehicles Homologation at Applus+ IDIADA. He participates in UNECE’s expert group on automated vehicles. Lujan leads R&D activities at IDIADA focusing on regulatory requirements for new CAV technologies.
For further information on regulations and policies regarding Connected and Automated Driving, visit our Knowledge Base dedicated section here.