France will set an autonomous-vehicle type-approval doctrine in the first half of 2027

France’s transport ministry said on October 23 that it would establish a doctrine for the type approval of autonomous vehicles in the first half of 2027, to give manufacturers more visibility over operational requirements and the timetable.

The ministry said the doctrine would be drawn up under the aegis of the Centre national de réception des véhicules, the national vehicle reception centre, and would rest on validation step by step, with safety monitored across the whole life of the vehicle. It said the doctrine would also be put to other European countries to ease recognition and harmonization at European level.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot set out the government’s priorities to 250 participants at the Assises du véhicule autonome in Paris, a gathering of manufacturers, mobility authorities, trade federations, unions, academics and transport operators.

On technological sovereignty, the ministry said France intends to host projects that rest on European industrial partnerships, ensure the right level of control over software functions, and keep data in Europe for Europeans. It said support mechanisms exist under the France 2030 investment plan to fund projects along the value chain.

The ministry said a single window would be set up at state level to simplify administrative procedures. Alongside the coming United Nations work, it said the government would work on interim national regulatory steps so that the development of autonomous shuttles is not held back, and that a review would be opened with stakeholders on automated transport vehicles. Delivery vehicles and robots have been allowed on French roads since August 7.

The ministry counted more than 200 experiments since France adopted its national strategy for automated mobility in 2018.