France opposes EU approval of Tesla's FSD driver assistance software for now

AMSTERDAM, July 23 (Reuters) - France opposes the use of Tesla's TSLA.O Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance software on roads in the European Union in its current form over safety concerns, its transportation minister said.

The French stance on the FSD software is the first public rejection by an EU government of a Dutch-led initiative to approve the technology for use throughout Europe.

In a video statement released on Wednesday, Philippe Tabarot pointed to worries over speeding and driver inattention.

"In France, we believe that, while this system brings a number of technological advances, the safety tradeoffs are not yet sufficient to justify authorisation in its current form," he said.

Tesla's FSD is a driver assistance system that can accelerate, brake, and steer a car, while its human driver remains ready to intervene.

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 possible bloc-wide vote on the plan this fall.

The RDW could not immediately be reached for comment on Thursday.

FSD software is seen as a selling point and revenue-generator for Tesla, whose European registrations are gradually recovering following a slump last year.

Responding to Tabarot's remarks in a statement on X, Tesla CEO Elon Musk wrote that "delaying the approval of FSD in France will cost lives".

Tabarot said France is continuing technical discussions with the Netherlands and other EU countries over the technology.

(Reporting by Toby Sterling; Editing by Joe Bavier)

((amsterdam.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com))