EC's new Intelligent Car Communication adopted

Creation date: 20 September 2007

The European Commission outlined new plans to accelerate the drive for safer, cleaner and smarter cars at the i2010 Intelligent Car Event 2007 in Versailles, France on 18 September.

Its new Intelligent Car Communication has three main priorities: safer, cleaner and smarter cars:

1. Safer: To improve safety, the policy document encourages the take-up of accident avoidance technologies These include eCall (emergency call), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and braking assistance and crash avoidance systems should be obligatory for all cars. The Commission will also produce guidelines on incentives, such as Member State tax schemes, for smart car systems by mid-2008.

2. Greener: To make road transport 'greener', the Commission will propose in 2008 a plan to roll-out the most effective low-CO2 technologies, targeting both the vehicles and the infrastructure. This will follow the results of work to quantify ICTs contribution to reducing CO2 in road transport for which there is currently no reliable data.

3. Smarter: For smarter road transport, the Communication calls on relevant stakeholders to develop a standard interface to connect, for example, mobile navigation devices with other systems integrated into the vehicle. The Commission also requests equipment suppliers and carmakers to implement its December 2006 Human-Machine-Interfaces recommendation on general principles for the safe installing and use of mobile information and communication systems brought into the car. It will also continue to fund research into smart communications for safer and more efficient transport.

"Technology can save lives, improve road transport and protect the environment. The EU must spread this good news among consumers and continue to put pressure on stakeholders to ensure Europeans benefit from these winning technologies sooner rather than later," said Viviane Reding, the EU's Commissioner for the Information Society and Media. "If we are serious about saving lives on European roads, then all 27 Member States should set a deadline to make eCall and Electronic Stability Control (ESC) standard equipment in all new cars. At the same time we need to clear administrative obstacles to innovations that will make cars safer and cleaner. For example, making sure radio frequencies are available for cooperative driving systems that will cut accidents, reduce congestion and lower CO2 emissions. If fast progress cannot be made voluntarily, I stand ready to intervene."

Jacques Barrot, Commissioner for Transport, said: "In our fight to halve the number of road casualties by 2010, we are taking action on all fronts - safer drivers, safer infrastructure and safer vehicles. With this action on intelligent cars, the Commission is pushing to ensure that cutting edge technology finds its way into our cars as soon as possible where it will help save lives and reduce the environmental impact of transport."

Vice-President Günter Verheugen, Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry, added: "We should fully exploit our technologies and knowledge to the benefit of our societies. We have available technologies to better assist drivers and by doing so we will help avoiding human tragedies. Therefore I proposed to introduce mandatory Electronic Stability Control (ESC) for new cars as of 2011 and I am now waiting for the public reaction."

The Intelligent Car initiative, part of the EU’s i2010 strategy, was launched in February 2006. This was the first strategic framework for a smarter, safer and cleaner road transport based on Intelligent Communications Technologies. This year's i2010 Intelligent Car event  - which was held in conjunction with the IP PReVENT Exhibition showcasing preventive road safety applications and technologies - also included the 8th eSafety Forum Plenary Meeting as well as a special ceremony for the newest signatories of the eCall Memorandum of Understanding. 

For more information, please visit: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/1342&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en