Skip to main content

First set of standards for C-ITS, ‘a key step towards connected cars in Europe’

Meeting at the 6th ETSI workshop, the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have confirmed that the basic set of standards for cooperative intelligence transport systems (C-ITS), as requested by the European Commission in 2009, have now been adopted and issued. The Release 1 specifications developed by CEN and ETSI will enable vehicles made by different manufacturers to communicate with each other and with the road infrastructure systems,
February 13, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Meeting at the 6th ETSI workshop, the European Committee for Standardisation (1701 CEN) and the 6613 European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have confirmed that the basic set of standards for cooperative intelligence transport systems (C-ITS), as requested by the 1690 European Commission in 2009, have now been adopted and issued. The Release 1 specifications developed by CEN and ETSI will enable vehicles made by different manufacturers to communicate with each other and with the road infrastructure systems, by utilising wireless communication technologies to link vehicles and infrastructure and identify potential risks in real time.

When applied by vehicle manufacturers, the new specifications should contribute to preventing road accidents by providing warning messages, such as wrong-way driving or possible collisions at intersections, as well as advance warnings of roadworks, congestion and other potential risks to road safety.

Standards for cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) are being developed by the competent technical committees of CEN and ETSI, which bring together experts from key players in the automotive industry including car manufacturers and their suppliers, as well as infrastructure system suppliers and operators. Work is currently underway in both CEN and ETSI to develop the next package of standards (Release 2). 1816 European Union funded research projects such as eCoMove, Drive C2X and COMeSafety have also contributed to the standards committees, or to ETSI-organised Plugtests interoperability testing events.

The road infrastructure operators and the automotive industry are coordinating their requirements through bodies such as the 7024 Amsterdam Group, 374 Ertico – ITS Europe and the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium, and feeding these directly into the standards committees. International cooperation is taking place with 2042 ISO, 6781 IEEE and the 567 SAE to ensure a global harmonisation of ITS deployment in different regions.

Connected cars are expected to appear on European roads in 2015. The authorities in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands have agreed to cooperate on the implementation of ITS infrastructure along the route between Rotterdam and Vienna (via Frankfurt).

Related Content

  • Mobile communications could revolutionise traffic management
    February 1, 2012
    Rudolf Mietzner looks at how machine-to-machine technologies and applications will affect the automotive sector in the coming years
  • Monotch & Detecon to help 5G transport roll-out in EU
    March 4, 2024
    5GMEC4EU project aims to boost 5G take-up along major European transportation routes
  • Intelligent intersection control
    April 12, 2013
    Intelligent intersection control systems have a growing role to play in making urban traffic more efficient. Robin Meczes reports. The idea of every traffic light turning green as you approach it has long been a dream for many an urban driver – and none more so than those driving heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), which are slow and difficult to bring to a halt and then accelerate back to normal travel speed. But that dream has become a reality for some drivers in a small number of cities around Europe in the las
  • 5G or not 5G?
    April 16, 2019
    Just a few years ago, there was only one solution in terms of communications protocols for delivering vehicle connectivity. Now, road operators and vehicle manufacturers face choices – including a moral choice, perhaps. Jason Barnes looks at the current state of play There is a debate raging in the ITS world over future communications protocols. Asfinag, Austria’s national strategic road operator, has announced it will from 2020 be using ITS-G5 to support cooperative ITS (C-ITS) applications (‘First thin