Declaration of Amsterdam “Cooperation in the field of connected and automated driving”

As a result of developments in the automotive, ICT and telecoms sectors and the introduction of connected and automated vehicles1, mobility will change more in the next twenty years than in the past one hundred years. Further automation of vehicles and advances in information and communication technologies provide excellent opportunities to improve traffic flows and to make transport safer, cleaner and easier. This development could also strengthen the economy of Europe. Ultimately, once fully automated driving becomes possible on a large scale, there may be societal benefits beyond the aforementioned goals, in terms of social inclusion, improved mobility services in rural areas and cities, the development of mobility as a service and lower travel costs. These advantages should bring extra flexibility in door-to-door mobility, especially in the field of public transport, also to the benefit of the aging population, vulnerable road users and disabled persons. Furthermore, this innovation could be linked to other important developments such as a shared economy, decarbonisation of transport and the transition towards a zero-emissions society and the circular economy.

Besides technological progress, there are further challenges and uncertainties related to development of connected and automated vehicles. There are important questions to be answered regarding security, social inclusion, use of data, privacy, liability, ethics, public support and the co-existence of connected and automated vehicles with manually controlled vehicles.

Member States support the development of connected and automated driving through a range of initiatives, such as truck platooning, autopilot on the highway and the establishment of ITScorridors. Connected and automated vehicles are already being tested on public roads and are gradually being introduced on the market for commercial use. In the early stages of this transition, open competition between different models and initiatives is needed to instigate creativity and innovation. However, both industry and users demand that new services and systems should be interoperable and compatible when crossing borders. The European Commission has taken important steps with the Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems (C-ITS) platform, the Round Table on Connected and Automated Driving and the Gear 2030 initiative. Nevertheless, a more coordinated approach is called for between Member States and at European level to remove barriers and to promote a step-by-step learning-by-experience approach such as the European truck platooning challenge. It is essential to support an exchange of information of results and best practices by linking and integrating such initiatives.