26 March 2026 23:00 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission says it supports automotive sector innovation

Key points

Automotive Package adopted; long-term certainty and CO2 revision
Large-scale testbeds and regulatory sandbox for automated vehicles

TL;DR

Commission adopted an Automotive Package in December to provide long-term certainty and revise CO2 standards
Automotive omnibus proposal aims to save businesses about €706 million annually
Commission is working with Member States to establish large-scale testbeds and a single regulatory sandbox for highly automated vehicles

Original text

European Commission - Speech [Check Against Delivery] Commissioner Tzitzitzikostas delivers a video address at the Mobility Innovation Summit 2026 Brussels, 27 March 2026 Ladies and gentlemen, Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you today, on what the European Commission is doing to support Europe's automotive sector in these challenging times. You don't need me to tell you about these challenges: increased competition, geopolitical instability, the digital and sustainable transition – I know that all are taking their toll. The Automotive Package that we adopted in December seeks to support you in several ways. It provides long-term certainty. The proposed revision to the CO2 standards for cars and vans provides a more flexible and technology-neutral approach. But it also maintains our ambition on climate neutrality goals, and sends a clear signal to manufacturers and investors on the need to continue their push towards zero-emission mobility. The Automotive omnibus proposal is designed to reduce the administrative burden on the automotive sector; we expect it to save businesses approximately €706 million annually. The December Package also lays the foundations for a small affordable car, made in the EU. And it creates demand for cleaner corporate cars and vans through the proposed Clean Corporate Vehicles Regulation. This complements the supply-side push of the CO2 standards, focussing on new vehicles registered by large companies. Your focus today is on innovation. Cooperative, connected and automated mobility is one of the keys to successfully compete in the future. To reap all the benefits and protect European competitiveness in this disruptive growth market, we need significantly more experience with highly automated vehicles. Outside Europe, companies are already putting highly automated or even autonomously driving vehicles on the road. Doing the same in Europe implies deploying much larger fleets of highly automated vehicles, in a pre-commercial or pre- type approval setting. And already today, it is possible to type-approve a highly automated vehicle, but so far, no manufacturer has sought to do so. In addition, we need to understand how highly automated vehicles can best be integrated into our transport system. And this requires experience in real-world conditions. We are therefore currently working on establishing large-scale testbeds for both freight and passenger transport with a number of Member States. And for those testbeds, having a single framework, or regulatory sandbox, which covers the entire testbed, is key. And this brings me back to where I started: we want our automotive industry to thrive. And in that sense, Ladies and gentlemen, I wish a productive and constructive day, and please do keep up the good work. Thank you. SPEECH/26/566

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