France opposes EU approval of Tesla's FSD driver assistance software for now
Reuters2026/07/23 17:27Adds minister saying other countries share France's concerns in paragraph 5, possible Swedish opposition in paragraph 6, graphic
AMSTERDAM, July 23 (Reuters) - France opposes the use of Tesla's TSLA.O Full Self-Driving (FSD) driver assistance software in its current form on roads in the European Union due to 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.
Tabarot added that other European countries shared France's concerns regarding the software, though he did not name them.
Reuters reported in June that Sweden may also oppose approval.
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)
Disclaimer: The content of this article solely reflects the author's opinion and does not represent the platform in any capacity. This article is not intended to serve as a reference for making investment decisions.
You may also like
Bitcoin, ETH, XRP Rally Under Threat As September 16 Fed Rate Hike Odds Surge To 86%
DOGE targets rebound as TD Sequential signals buy, whales hold 130 billion tokens
Crypto Liquidity Is Moving – Here’s Where the Money Is Going
Fed Rate Hike Odds Jump to 87% as FOMC Meeting Nears
Crypto prices
More
