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.”

Networking & Communication Systems

Related Content

  • March 15, 2019
    Asfinag makes case for ITS-G5 over 5G
    Asfinag’s Manfred Harrer and Peter Meckel talk to Jason Barnes about the organisation’s first steps towards C-ITS deployments - and why ITS-G5 will be the underpinning standard For quite a number of years, it was assumed that the connectivity required for cooperative ITS (C-ITS) applications and autonomous vehicle (AV) operations would be catered for by a bespoke communications solution/protocol. This would provide localised ad hoc communication in a manner similar to Wi-Fi, and the dedicated bandwidth/n
    Read More
  • November 9, 2023
    A revisited framework for ITS in Europe
    Following the newly-adopted European Directive on ITS, Joost Vantomme of Ertico – ITS Europe, shares his insights on the legislation and its opportunities for the entire industry
    Read More
  • September 4, 2018
    Avoiding a tangle
    The ITS industry will get into a ‘terrific mess’ if it doesn’t sort out the question of interoperability, says Georg Kapsch. He talks to Alan Dron about data, connectivity – and why governments should stay out of technology issues Governments should set a regulatory framework to help shape the direction of road technologies - but then stand aside and allow industry to create the necessary technologies, according to a European pioneer in the field. Georg Kapsch, CEO of Kapsch Group and Kapsch TrafficCom,
    Read More
  • March 3, 2023
    C-ITS in Europe: It’s the governance, stupid!
    Cooperative ITS (C-ITS) is coming – in fact, it’s already here. But who has responsibility for making it work? Richard Lax of Kapsch TrafficCom thinks there are lessons to be learned from the European experience
    Read More

Highlighted Content