AMSTERDAM, July 23 (Reuters) – France opposes the use of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance software in its current form on \u200croads in the European Union due to safety concerns, its \u200ctransportation minister said.<\/p>\n
The French stance on the FSD software is the first public rejection \u200bby an EU government of a Dutch-led initiative to approve the technology for use throughout Europe.<\/p>\n
In a video statement released on Wednesday, Philippe Tabarot pointed to worries over speeding and driver inattention.<\/p>\n
“In France, we believe that, \u200cwhile this system brings \u2060a number of technological advances, the safety tradeoffs are not yet sufficient to justify authorisation in its current \u2060form,” he said.<\/p>\n
Tabarot added that other European countries shared France’s concerns regarding the software, though he did not name them.<\/p>\n
Reuters reported in June that \u200bSweden may \u200balso oppose approval.<\/p>\n
Tesla’s FSD is a \u200bdriver assistance system that can \u200caccelerate, brake, and steer a car, while its human driver remains ready to intervene.<\/p>\n
The Netherlands’ road authority RDW approved the technology for use on Dutch roads on a provisional basis in April, prompting Belgium, Denmark, Estonia and Lithuania to do the same in advance of a \u200cpossible bloc-wide vote on the plan \u200bthis fall.<\/p>\n
The RDW could not immediately be \u200breached for comment on Thursday.<\/p>\n