Skip to main content

European lawmakers consider future C-ITS framework

Draft legislation which will underpin future services such as connected vehicles has been put before the European Parliament and Council this week. Aimed at harmonising cooperative ITS deployment, the C-ITS Delegated Act - a leaked draft of which had circulated widely within the ITS industry – will in effect decide, for example, what communications protocols are to be used as C-ITS develops. The draft suggests that the eventual law will be technology-neutral, although the fact that it is using the exi
March 14, 2019 Read time: 2 mins
Draft legislation which will underpin future services such as connected vehicles has been put before the European Parliament and Council this week.


Aimed at harmonising cooperative ITS deployment, the C-ITS Delegated Act - a leaked draft of which had circulated widely within the ITS industry – will in effect decide, for example, what communications protocols are to be used as C-ITS develops.

The draft suggests that the eventual law will be technology-neutral, although the fact that it is using the existing ITS-G5 as a baseline technology has worried the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA).

The organisation says the draft contradicts the 1690 European Commission’s aim of future proofing standards and legislation by “exclusively embracing ITS-G5”.

This threatens to exclude “other available and mature technologies such as LTE-V2X” for direct short-range or long-range communications, it said in a submission.

5GAA believes LTE-V2X is the only platform which offers a “clear evolutionary roadmap” towards 5G for connected vehicles and road infrastructure.

Others do not agree. For example, 81 Kapsch says in its own submission: “ITS-G5 is the only commercially available technology, it hence forms the baseline for interoperability. The review clause allows future technologies in.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Europe’s EasyWay project accommodates political requirements
    May 29, 2013
    The EasyWay project has evolved to take account of political developments at the European level. By Jason Barnes The European Union’s (EU’s) EasyWay ITS deployment project has its roots in the ambitions of former European Commission President Jacques Delors with regard to truly international networks for energy, information and for transport. Definition of what became known as the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) began back in 1994 with seven working groups. They produced an R&D and policy framework
  • Manchester seeks smart but not selective transport solutions
    January 25, 2018
    Smarter transport relies on better communications both with travellers and between transport providers. Andrew Williams reports. Inrix’s prediction that the cost of traffic congestion will rise by 63% to £21bn per year by 2030 clearly illustrates that, in addition to the ongoing inconvenience and inefficiency, ongoing gridlock is a significant drain on the economy. It is against this backdrop that a Cisco-led consortium has launched CitySpire, a smart transport programme that uses location-based services a
  • Europe's electronic toll service closer to operational reality
    November 7, 2012
    After much debate and delay, a unifying European Electronic Toll Service is now finally on the horizon, says ASFiNAG’s Klaus Schierhackl. Here, he talks with Jason Barnes about what that might mean. Aworkable European Electronic Toll Service (EETS) which will allow truck drivers to travel across the continent and pay tolls using a single account and OnBoard Unit (OBU) was originally timetabled to be in place and operating by October of this year. A lack of urgency from some of the stakeholders involved in t
  • Uber: AB5 ‘does not automatically reclassify’ drivers
    September 18, 2019
    Business life may be about to get trickier for transportation network companies following the passing of a new law in California which aims to give gig economy workers more rights. Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), which is due to come into effect in January next year, says that “a person providing labour or services for remuneration shall be considered an employee rather than an independent contractor” - unless three points are proved. One, that “the hiring entity demonstrates that the person is free from the con