Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Information and Communications Technologies for Safe and Intelligent Vehicles (SEC(2003) 963)
Date: 2003-09-15
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: common transport policy, information technology, intelligent transport system, road safety, road transport

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 15.9.2003
COM(2003) 542 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Information and Communications Technologies for Safe and Intelligent Vehicles

(SEC(2003) 963)

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION
TO THE COUNCIL AND THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Information and Communications Technologies for Safe and Intelligent Vehicles

PREFACE

Modern society depends on mobility, which provides personal freedom and access to services
for  business  and  leisure.  From  society’s  point  of  view,  an  efficient  transport  system  is  the
engine of our economy, and the transport sector is of huge economic importance employing
more than 10 million people and with expenditure of more than 10% of the Gross Domestic
Product (GDP) in Europe.

For a long time, the demand for transport services has grown steadily for both passengers
and goods. The continuing growth of the economic activity and the Union’s enlargement will
increase needs for mobility and transport services. Most of this growth is expected to be taken
up  by  the  road  sector  at  a  time  when  tight  public  budgets  restrict  investments  in  the
infrastructure.  The  rising  volumes  of  traffic  further  deteriorate  the  situation  regarding  the
problems  caused  by  the  road  transport,  which  include  congestion  of  the  main  roads
network and in urban areas, harmful effects on the environment and public health, and above
all, accidents which cause fatalities, injuries and material damage.

In the forefront in the drive for safer and more efficient transport is the automotive industry,
together with its suppliers and the emerging telematics sector, which build on the strengths of
two  other  industrial  sectors,  namely  the  Mobile  Telecommunications  and  Information
Technology sectors. As a result of the efforts of the industry, vehicles today are inherently
safer, cleaner and more recyclable than before. But the societal costs of road transport are
still by far too high. The 1.300.000 accidents per  year in Europe cause 40.000 fatalities and
1.700.000 injuries, at an estimated cost of 160 Billion €, or 2 % of the GDP in Europe. Road
transport  is  a  necessity  for  our  mobility,  but  new  measures  are  required  to  tackle  this
increasing problem. The automotive industry is facing an increasing challenge to tackle this
issue and to contribute to the main transport policy goal of the EC, which is to reduce by half
the number of road fatalities by 2010.

Road safety cannot, however, be sufficiently improved by concentrating on the industry  and
the vehicles only. The public sector has to work together with the private sector both by
investing  in  the  required  infrastructure  and  in  taking  measures,  which  enable  the  market
introduction of new solutions. A lot can be  achieved by simple measures  like educating  the
drivers to be more responsible, enforcing the existing road safety rules e.g. related to safety
belt  use,  drinking  and  driving  and  speed  limits,  and  by  improving  the  physical  road
infrastructure.  The  safety  and  efficiency  of  roads  can  be  also  substantially  improved  by  the
deployment  of  Intelligent  Transport  Systems  (ITS)  for  Intelligent  Infrastructure,  such  as
adaptive  traffic  control  and  management  systems  in  cities,  and  traffic  control  and  incident
detection systems on the motorways, the deployment of which is financially supported by the
Trans-European Networks for Transport.

Information  and  Communications  Technologies  (ICT)  are  already  widely  in  use  in  all
areas of mobility, most  notably in vehicles, which  are  becoming  more and  more intelligent.
With the development of the more powerful processors, communication technologies, sensors

2

and  actuators,  more  and  more  of  the  vehicle  control,  monitoring  and  comfort  functions  are
based on ICT. Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) are also seen as the
most important set of tools enabling the industrial players to meet the above-mentioned
challenge  on  road  safety  and  contributing  to  Europe’s  expectations  for  safer  and  more
efficient mobility.

Recognising this potential, the European Commission in 2002, together with the automotive
industry and other stakeholders established  an eSafety Working Group consisting  of  some
40 experts, and mandated it to propose a strategy for accelerating the research, development,
deployment  and  use  of  ICT-based  intelligent  safety  systems  for  improving  road  safety  in
Europe. In November 2002, the Working Group published  its Final Report, which  a High-
Level meeting of all stakeholders later endorsed as the basis for further actions in advancing
the use of ICT for improving road safety in Europe.

The eSafety Working Group Final Report gives 28 detailed recommendations for action,
directed  to  the  European  Commission,  the  Member  States,  road  and  safety  authorities,
automotive  industry,  service  providers,  user  clubs,  insurance  industry  and  other
stakeholders.  These  recommendations  fall  into  three  main  categories:  actions  for  the
development of the building blocks for integrated safety, actions for adapting regulation
and standardisation, and actions for removing the societal and business obstacles.

The report concludes that the greatest potential in the application of ICT in solving road
transport safety problems is offered by the Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems, which use
advanced ICT for providing new, intelligent solutions which address together the involvement
of and interaction between the driver, the vehicle and the road environment. In this integrated
and  global  approach  to  safety,  the  autonomous  on-board  safety  systems  are  complemented
with  co-operative  technologies,  which  use  vehicle-to  vehicle  and  vehicle-to  infrastructure
communication to get information of the road environment for assessing the potential hazards
and optimising the functioning of the on-board safety systems.

This Communication brings forward the actions the Commission intends to take in order
to  accelerate  the  development,  large-scale  deployment  and  use  of  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety  Systems  in  Europe,  with  the  emphasis  on  the  Intelligent  Vehicle  part  of  these
systems.  These  actions  are  intended  to  facilitate  the  industry  to  develop  these  systems,  to
enable  their  rapid  market  introduction  by  removing  the  regulatory  and  standardisation
obstacles,  and  to  contribute  to  a  joint  public-private  business  case  which  is  seen  as  a
prerequisite for their large-scale take-up.

These actions, when complemented in a co-ordinated way with shared actions by the Member
States on national, regional and local level, and by the industry itself, are expected to make a
major contribution to reducing the fatalities on European roads, and provide for the basic
need for Europe’s citizens: safe mobility.

3

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE .................................................................................................................................. 2

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................... 4

1.

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 5

1.1.

1.2.

1.3.

1.4.

1.5.

THE TRANSPORT SECTOR: A KEY ECONOMIC SECTOR FULFILLING A BASIC NEED ............ 5

GROWTH IN DEMAND OF TRANSPORT SERVICES CAUSING INCREASING PROBLEMS .......... 5

URGENT ACTIONS REQUIRED IN MEETING THE SOCIETAL CHALLENGES ........................... 6

TOWARDS INTELLIGENT VEHICLES AND SAFER, MORE EFFICIENT MOBILITY ................... 6

TOWARDS MORE INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE............................................................ 8

2. REAPING THE BENEFITS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

TECHNOLOGIES FOR ROAD SAFETY .................................................................. 9

2.1.

2.2.

2.3.

2.4.

2.5.

FROM PASSIVE SAFETY TO ACTIVE SAFETY AND ACCIDENT PREVENTION......................... 9

TOWARDS A NEW GENERATION OF INTELLIGENT SAFETY SYSTEMS THROUGH RESEARCH 9

INTELLIGENT VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS ................................................................... 11

A PREREQUISITE: A POSITIVE BUSINESS CASE ................................................................ 12

CONTRIBUTING TO PEDESTRIAN SAFETY........................................................................ 13

3. RATIONALE FOR COMMUNITY ACTIONS.............................................................. 14

3.1.

3.2.

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 14

EUROPEAN COMMISSION TAKING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR EUROPEAN LEVEL PUBLIC

SECTOR ACTIONS ......................................................................................................... 14

3.3.

ACTING TOGETHER AT EU, NATIONAL AND REGIONAL LEVEL....................................... 15

4.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION ACTIONS........................................................................ 16

4.1.

4.2.

4.3.

4.4.

PROMOTING INTELLIGENT VEHICLE SAFETY SYSTEMS ................................................. 16

ADAPTING THE REGULATORY AND STANDARDISATION PROVISIONS .............................. 20

REMOVING THE SOCIETAL AND BUSINESS OBSTACLES ................................................... 22

OTHER ACTIONS ............................................................................................................ 23

5. REPORTING ................................................................................................................... 24

ANNEX 1: GLOSSARY OF TERMS ..................................................................................... 25

ANNEX 2: SUMMARY OF CONSULTATIONS.................................................................. 27

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT......................................................................... 28

4

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1.

The transport sector: A key economic sector fulfilling a basic need

Mobility and transport is a concern for citizens throughout Europe: there are 375 million road
users in the EU. Modern society depends on mobility, which provides personal freedom and
access to services for business and leisure. From society’s point of view, an efficient transport
system is the engine of our economy, and the transport sector is of huge economic importance
employing more than 10 million people and with expenditure of more than 10% of the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) in Europe.

A key industry in the transport sectors is the automotive sector, which manufactures about 17
million vehicles per year and employs with its suppliers close to 2 million people in Europe,
with a turnover of 452 billion € world-wide 1. The automotive telematics market, comprising
of  sales  of  telematics  platforms  and  services  is  experiencing  rapid  growth  in  market
penetration, and according to some market studies will reach an annual revenue as high as 8,5
in  2000.  As  the  car  parc  of  vehicles  with
billion  €  in  Europe  in  2007,  up  from  1  billion  € 
telematics  grows,  the  market  will  shift  towards  services2,  further  integrating  the  automotive
market  with  two  other  key  industrial  sectors  in  Europe:  Mobile  Communications  and
Information  Technology.  As  a  whole,  Information  and  Communications  Technologies
(ICT) play a key role in the convergence of these sectors towards the Intelligent Vehicles of
the future. The coming generation of mobile communication technology will further reinforce
this trend.

1.2.

Growth in demand of transport services causing increasing problems

For a long time, the demand for transport services has grown steadily for both passengers and
goods. Most of this growth has taken place in road transport, which has been able to increase
capacity and offer competitive services. It is estimated that some 80% of travel calculated in
passenger-km  is  currently  by  car,  and  road  makes  up  44%  of  the  goods  transport  market.
Between 1970 and 2001, the number of vehicles in the Community grew from 62.5 million to
over 205 million3, and the vehicle parc is now increasing by more that 3 million every year.

The  continuing  growth  of  the  economic  activity  in  the  Union,  and  its  enlargement  will
increase needs for mobility and transport services, with estimated increase in demand of 38%
for goods services and 24% for passengers by 2010 in the EU of 15. Most of this growth is
expected to be taken up by the road sector, which further deteriorates the situation regarding
the  problems  caused  by  the  road  transport,  which  include  congestion  at  more  points  of  the
main roads network and in urban areas, harmful effects on the environment and public health,
and above all accidents, causing fatalities, injuries and material damage.

At  the  same  time,  tight  public  budgets  restrict  investments  in  the  infrastructure.  These
problems are not only socio-economic ones, but concern each and every citizen in their daily
lives.  The  1.300.000  accidents  per  year  in  Europe  cause  40.000  fatalities  and  1.700.000
injuries, at an estimated cost of 160 Billion €, or  2 % of the GDP. On a personal level, these
accident figures translate to one third of us being injured in an accident at some point of their
lives. The psychological damage to the victims and their families cannot even be estimated.

1

2

3

Sources: ACEA and Eurostat, 2001
Source: European Automotive Telematics Market, Frost&Sullivan 2001
Source: ACEA, 2001. The total number of motor vehicles in use was 205,8 million, out of which 180,3
million were passenger cars.

5

                                                
1.3.

Urgent actions required in meeting the societal challenges

Road  transport  is  a  necessity  for  our  mobility,  but  new  measures  are  required  to  tackle  the
increasing  problems  associated  with  it.  In  the  forefront  in  the  drive  for  safer  and  more
efficient  transport  is  the  automotive  industry,  together  with  its  suppliers  and  the  emerging
telematics  sector.  Both  of  these  largely  depending  on  the  strengths  of  two  other  industrial
sectors, namely the Mobile Communications and the Information Technology sectors.

Thanks largely to the efforts of the industry, vehicles today are inherently safer, cleaner and
more recyclable than before. Thanks to improvements in the crash-worthiness of the vehicles,
safety  belts,  ABS  and  other  inventions,  the  vehicles  are  now  four  times  safer  than  in  1970;
this has largely contributed to the reducing by 50% of the number of deaths in EU 15  from
1970, while the traffic volumes have tripled during the same period.

But the societal costs of road transport are still far too high, and new goals have been set. The
automotive  industry,  with  its  suppliers  and  the  related  industrial  sectors,  are  facing  an
increased challenge to comply with both tighter environmental controls expected by both the
society and citizens, aiming at more sustainable transport4, and demands to contribute to the
main transport policy goal of the EC, which is to reduce by half the number of road fatalities
by 20105. Regarding road safety, the effect of the current measures appears to be reaching its
limits, and new measures are urgently required.

In  order  to  tackle  the  whole  issue  of  road  safety,  including  enforcement  of  current  safety
measures  to  be  undertaken  at  Member  State  and  regional  level,  the  Commission  has
introduced an European Road Safety Action Programme6.

1.4.

Towards Intelligent Vehicles and safer, more efficient mobility

ICT holding the promise of safer and more efficient mobility

Looking  forward,  Information  and  Communications  Technologies  (ICT)  should  guarantee
mobility and secure economic growth. The primary effects of ICT in transport and mobility
are in enabling  the  development  of more  Intelligent  Vehicles,  more  sophisticated  telematics
services, and for advanced Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) to be applied to traffic control
and  management  systems  providing  the  intelligent  road  infrastructure.  Telematics  and
innovative logistics based on ICT can help to make traffic flows more efficient and to avoid
congestion, even on the existing road infrastructure.

Towards more intelligent vehicles

Increasingly, the  competitiveness  of  the  automotive  sector  depends  on  its  ability  to  use  and
adopt  the  latest  Information  and  Communications  Technologies.  An  increasing  number  of
vehicle functions are controlled by processors and software, and more and more of the added
value  of  the  vehicle  comes  from  sophisticated  electronic  systems  which  can  replace  entire
mechanical  and  hydraulic  subsystems.  Today,  the  electronics  sensors,  actuators  and
subsystems  for  vehicle  control,  monitoring,  safety  and  comfort  comprise  some  30%  of  the
vehicles’ added value; this is expected to rise to some 40% in 2005.

4

5

6

Gothenburg European Council, 2001
White Paper on European Transport Policy for 2010, adopted by the Commission in September 2001
European  Road  Safety  Action  Programme :  Halving  the  number  of  road  accident  victims  in  the
European Union by 2010 : A shared responsibility, COM 2003(311) final 2.6.2003

6

                                                
During the last decade, we have made in Europe a major investment in the use of ICT in in-
vehicle safety technologies  like  Advanced  Driver  Assistance  Systems  (ADAS).  While  these
technologies are introduced on the markets, there is a need to continue investment in future,
advanced  technologies.  While  these  technologies  have  a  wide  scope  of  applications  in
Intelligent Vehicles, including on-board diagnostic systems7, this Communication deals only
with  the  application  of  these  technologies  for  road  safety.  The  EU’s  6th  Framework
Programme  for  Research  and  Technological  Development  offers  further  possibilities  for
applying for funding in this area8.

Towards more sophisticated telematics services

ICT 

technologies 

include  mobile 

The  automotive  telematics  industry  is  driven  by  Information  and  Communications
telecommunications,
Technologies.  The  key 
location/positioning  technologies,  intelligent  sensors,  actuators  and  interfaces,  automotive-
grade  high-performance  processors  and  high-performance 
in-vehicle  communications
networks.  A  key  role  in  this  rapidly  growing  sector  is  also  played  by  services/contents
industry,  which  drive  towards  higher  quality  personalised  services  and  sustainable  business
models.  The  four  principal  markets  for  telematics  services  today  are  safety  and  security
(including e-Call, vehicle tracking), vehicle oriented telematics (including remote diagnostics
and proactive maintenance), navigation  and  routing (including dynamic navigation,  Point of
Interest,  traffic  and  travel  information),  fleet  management  and  infotainment  (entertainment,
internet access, information services, email).

Mobile Communications: a future pillar for telematics

With general packet radio service (GPRS) and universal mobile telecommunications system
(UMTS)  advancing  into  the  automotive  markets,  the  outlook  for  mobile,  location  related
services  is  brightening  up  significantly.  Thanks  to  the  option  of  being  permanently  on-line
and by offering much higher bandwidths, the scope of affordable services increases rapidly.
In the  future,  the  existing telematics services  based on SMS  or  WAP  messaging  over  GSM
will  be  replaced  by  location-enhanced  services  using  GPRS/UMTS  and  DAB/DVB,  while
RDS-TMC  services  using  FM  radio  will  be  enhanced  and  are  expected  to  co-exist  on  the
markets. eEurope 20059, with its focus on providing mobile and broadband connectivity and
mobile services will further facilitate this development.

Logistics depending on ICT

The  combination  of  logistics  and  telematics  based  on  Information  and  Communications
Technologies  is  gaining  importance  in  the  whole  transport  sector,  and  especially  in  road
haulage.  ICT  is  increasingly  used  in  route  planning,  tracking  and  tracing  and  usage-related
invoicing. Road hauliers depend today on ICT for fleet management, with promises of greater

7

8

9

Directive  2001/1/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  22  January  2001  amending
Council Directive 70/220/EEC concerning measures to be taken against air pollution by emissions from
motor vehicles; published in OJ L 035 of 6.2.2001
Decision No 1513/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June concerning the
sixth framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and
demonstration activities, contributing to the creation of the European Research Area and to innovation
(2002-2006); published in OJ L 232 of 29.8.2002; and 2002/834/EC: Council Decision of 30 September
2002  adopting  a  specific  programme  for  research,  technological  development  and  demonstration:
"Integrating  and  strengthening  the  European  Research  Area"  (2002-2006);  published  in  OJ  L  294  of
29.10.2002.
eEurope 2005:An information society for all, COM(2002) 263 final, 28.5.2002

7

                                                
efficiency and reduction of equipment costs. The role of ICT in logistics will increase with e-
Commerce and the trend towards just-on-time deliveries.

1.5.

Towards more intelligent infrastructure

Intelligent infrastructure and co-operative systems

Many of our large and medium-sized cities are equipped with advanced computer-controlled,
adaptive traffic control and information systems. More and more of the European motorway
network  is  being  equipped  with  traffic  control,  incident  detection  and  traveller  information
systems,  which  increase  safety  and  user  comfort,  e.g.  by  informing  about  traffic  conditions
and alternative routes in case of an accident.

The  basis  for  an  effective  traffic  management  is  the  availability  of  real-time  traffic
information.  Traffic  data  has  been  conventionally  collected  by  sensors  embedded  in  the
pavement,  installed  at  critical  sections  of  the  road  network.  Video-based  sensors  are
increasingly being installed and their data analysed via image processing technologies. Next
generation  systems  which  use  Floating  Vehicle  Data  (FVD),  for  example  based  on
anonymous polling of vehicle position and speed information, hold the promise of providing
more  complete  traffic  information  for  a  fraction  of  the  cost.  Further  advances  in  mobile
communications technology, traffic control, information and location technologies will enable
avoiding bottlenecks and offer new innovative ways for traffic management.

Co-operation between the intelligent infrastructure  and the intelligent vehicle is valuable for
both.  Information  on  the  network  condition  is  necessary  for  the  best  performance  of  the
systems  included  in  the  vehicle,  and  feedback  information  is  of  primary  importance  to
improve  the  knowledge  of  the  situation  for  operators.  Intelligent  Transport  Systems  (ITS)
projects  on  the  trans-European  Transport  Network  are  leading  the  way  in  introducing  these
services.

Galileo: Core positioning technology for telematics services

Location  information,  together  with  mobile  communications,  enables  a  large  number  of
telematics  services  like  location-enhanced  emergency  call  (e-Call),  in-vehicle  navigation,
Points of Interest (POI) services, vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle location etc. The current in-
vehicle  systems  are  based  on  satellite  navigation  (GPS),  due  to  the  need  to  operate  also  in
rural  areas  where  the  alternative  location  technology  (based  on  mobile  communication
network) does not offer sufficient performance.

The European satellite navigation infrastructure Galileo10 will provide a set of navigation and
positioning  services  that  allow  a  wide  range  of  innovative  applications  to  be  developed.
Galileo  together  with  the  advent  of  new  regulations  in  the  mobile  phone  domain  (E-112
legislation),  in  the  road  sector  and  others,  will  create  new  business  opportunities  and  open
doors  for  new  applications.  The  enhanced  accuracy  and  the  guaranteed  service  provided  by
Galileo  will  improve  the  performance  of  the  ITS  services.  Galileo  will  start  operations  in
2008,  and  in  the  meantime  the  European  Geostationary  Navigation  Overlay  Systems
(EGNOS11) will provide similar enhanced services from 2004 onwards.

10

11

Council Conclusions on GALILEO, 25/25 March 2002,
europa.eu.int/comm/dgs/energy_transport/galileo/index_en.htm
Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council “Integration of the
EGNOS programme in the GALILEO Programme”, COM(2003) 123 final, 19.3. 2003

8

                                                
2.

REAPING THE BENEFITS OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES
FOR ROAD SAFETY

2.1.

From passive safety to active safety and accident prevention

The  1.300.000  road  accidents  per  year  in  Europe  cause  40.000  fatalities  and  1.700.000
injuries.  During  the  last  decade,  the  European  Union,  Member  States  and  the  automotive
industry  have  been  actively  involved  in  improving  road  safety  through  both  accident
prevention and injury reduction. Most of the accident prevention measures  have  focused  on
the  driver,  while  the  measures  to  reduce  the  consequences  of  an  accident  have  primarily
focused  on  the  vehicle,  through  improved  passive  safety  such  as  crashworthiness,  seatbelts
airbags and conventional active safety systems such as braking and lighting.

Passive  Safety  measures  have  been  proven  to  be  a  very  effective  method  for  the
reduction of the car accident trauma. This can be illustrated with German accident data,
for  instance.  In  the  period  from  1970-1987  the  number  of  accidents  on  German  roads
increased  by  about  40  %,  as  the  traffic  measured  as  kilometres  travelled  increased  by
72%. In this same period however the number or traffic injuries decreased by 20% and
the number of fatalities even by about 50%. It was concluded that this decrease to a large
extent  was  due  to  injury  prevention  measures  like  significant  improvements  of  the
vehicle crashworthiness and the introduction of the seat belt12.

These  combined  actions  have  contributed  to  the  continuous  reduction  of  the  number  of
fatalities on European roads. The number of deaths in EU 15 has halved from 1970, while the
traffic  volumes  have  tripled  during  the  same  period13.  Nevertheless,  the  number  of  road
accidents and the number of road victims are still unacceptably high in the European Union.
Furthermore, the contribution of many of these “conventional” safety measures is reaching its
limits,  and  further  improvements  in  safety  by  these  measures  are  becoming  more  and  more
difficult to achieve  at  a  reasonable  cost. This is why  the  in-vehicle  passive  safety  has  to  be
complemented by introducing on the markets more advanced in-vehicle and co-operative
active safety systems.

2.2.

Towards a new generation of intelligent safety systems through research

During the last decade in Europe both the industry and the public sector have invested heavily
in  Research  and  Development  (RTD)  in  the  use  of  Information  and  Communications
Technologies (ICT) in in-vehicle safety  technologies  and subsystems. While the bulk of  the
work  has  been  done  by  the  industry,  the  EU’s  Research  Programmes  have  contributed  in
realising leading edge technologies, systems and applications.

12

13

Verletzungsfolgekosten  nach  Strassenverkehrsunfallen".  Schriftenreihe  des  Hauptverbandes  der
gewerblichen Berufsgenossenschaften e.V. A. Sutter Druckerei GmbH, Essen
http://europa.eu.int/comm/transport/home/care/index_en.htm

9

                                                
The EU has played a role in this research since the DRIVE Programme in 1988. Under
the EU’s Fourth Framework Programme for Research, Technological Development and
Demonstration  (1994  -1998),  the  Telematics  Applications  Programme,  helped  in
realising  leading-edge  systems  and  applications.  The  Information  Society  Technologies
(IST) programme14 continues research in technologies and applications systems aiming at
safer,  cleaner  and more efficient transport, with  specific  focus  on  intelligent  safety  and
Advanced  Driver  Assistance  Systems  and  supporting  technologies.  The  Intelligent
Vehicle cluster of the IST Programme has over 40 projects, with total budget of over 150
million € and Community contribution of over 80 million €. Research into safer vehicles
and infrastructures as well as accident databases and human behaviour in road transport
is  also  undertaken  in  the  Competitive  and  Sustainable  Growth  programme  (5th
Framework Programme)15.

The development of appropriate sensors, actuators and processors, has already permitted wide
spread  implementation  of  systems,  which  help  the  driver  to  maintain  control  of  the  vehicle
even  when  he  has  exceeded  its  ‘normal’  limits  of  handling.  Examples  of  such  systems  are
Anti-lock Braking Systems (ABS) and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP). These systems
are  already  making  a  major  contribution  to  road  safety.  Together  with  improvements  in
passive safety, the vehicles are now four times safer than in 1970.

Many  accidents  are  avoidable  if  the  driver  was  to  take  evasive  action.  This  is  possible
provided that the driver  has  retained  directional  control  of  the  vehicle.  However,  if  the
wheels lock-up under braking the driver no longer has that directional control. Anti-lock
Braking Systems (ABS) detect when any of the wheels of a vehicle are about to lock-up,
and  release  the  brakes  slightly  on  that  wheel,  ensuring  that  it  maintains  its  grip  on  the
road. Therefore, in emergency braking situations or in slippery conditions, it is possible
for the driver of a vehicle equipped with ABS to avoid an accident by steering round it
and to retain control of the vehicle.

It  is  far  more  difficult  to  offer  protection  to  the  occupants  from  lateral  impacts  than
frontal  impacts,  especially  if  the  struck  object  is  narrow  like  a  pole  or  tree,  which  is  a
typical  scenario  when  a  vehicle  slides  or  spins  off  the  road.  Therefore,  vehicle  and
braking system manufacturers have developed systems commonly known as Electronic
Stability Programmes (ESP) which detect the onset of a slide and  automatically apply
the  brakes  to  individual  wheels  to  correct  the  slide  and  prevent  spinning.  ESP  will  be
beneficial  even  under  the  most  pessimistic  assumption  that  it  does  not  avoid  any
accidents but simply transforms them from lateral to frontal. ESP is now optional or even
standard on many current passenger cars. Statistics from one car manufacturer shows that
in 2001 there was a 4% reduction of accidents, compared to the year before, that could be
directly attributed to ESP. The reduction of roll-over accidents thanks to ESP have also
been estimated to be 12%.

The  further  development  of  intelligent  active  safety  systems  will  require  substantial  RTD
efforts.  The  current  Sixth  Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Technological
Development  (2002-2006)8  will  offer  new  funding  opportunities  for  RTD  in  intelligent
integrated safety systems including  accidentology  and  Advanced  Driver Assistance  Systems
and technologies. The new instrument, Integrated Project, which is designed to generate the

14

15

The  Information  Society  Technologies  Programme  is  part  of  the  European  Union’s  Fifth  Framework
Programme for research and technological development (RTD), covering the period 1998-2002
See www.europa.eu.int/comm/research/growth/gcc/menu-researchthemes.html

10

                                                
knowledge  required  to  address  major  societal  challenges,  will  be  especially  suitable  for
research in this area. Integrated Projects are intended to build a critical mass of activities and
resources  needed  for  achieving  ambitious,  clearly  defined  scientific  and  technological
objectives. These projects are of substantial size, with the duration of  typically  three to  five
years.

2.3.

Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems

We  know  that  almost  95%  of  the  accidents  are  at  least  partly  due  to  the  human  factor.  In
almost  three-quarters  of  the  cases  the  human  behaviour  is  solely  to  blame.  This  apparent
mismatch between driver skills and situation complexity can be addressed by improvements
in 
the  environment  (intelligent
infrastructure) and the vehicle (in-vehicle safety systems).

the  driver  (education  and 

three  factors: 

training); 

Intelligent Vehicle  Safety Systems use  Information  and  Communications  Technologies  for
providing  solutions  for  improving  road  safety  in  particular  in  the  pre-crash  phase  when  the
accident can still be avoided or at least its severity significantly reduced. With these systems,
which  can  operate  either  autonomously  on-board  the  vehicle,  or  be  based  on  vehicle-to-
vehicle  or  vehicle-to-infrastructure  communication  (co-operative  systems),  the  number  of
accidents and their severity can be  reduced, leading equally to a reduction of the number of
fatalities and injuries.

Collisions  during  lane  changes  and  involuntary  lane  departure  are  two  of  the  most
important causes of accidents. This problem requires in-vehicle technology to help detect
and  warn  drivers  of  vehicles  in  adjacent  lanes  or  when  the  vehicle  is  about  to
unintentionally depart from the lane. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety
Agency (NHTSA) in  the  US, lane  change  and merge collisions could  be  cut  in  half  by
new technologies. In Europe, a Dutch study expects a reduction of 37% in all side impact
collisions  and  a  reduction  of  24%  of  the  single  vehicle  accidents  due  to  lane  departure
crash avoidance.

Location-enhanced emergency calls like in-vehicle e-Call have their  primary  benefit  to
society of saving lives and in offering an increased sense of security. This is achieved by
improved call routing obtaining faster and improved information for dispatching relevant
resources,  and  most  importantly  improved  information  to  locate  the  caller.  What  is  of
paramount importance  here is  that  the  relevant  resources  are  delivered  to  the  person  in
need as soon as possible, this can save up to 10% of the fatalities. An increased sense of
security  is  particularly  relevant  for  European  citizens  travelling  abroad.  The  secondary
benefits may be varied and include increased confidence in emergency service provision,
reduced  stress,  decreased  reliance  on  verbal  communication  and  reduced  traffic
congestion16.

In the development and deployment of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems, priority should be
given  to  the  systems  with  the  best  prospects.  The  eSafety  Working  Group17  identified  a
number of such systems, e.g. safe speed, lane support, safe following, pedestrian protection,

16

17

Caller  Location  in  Telecommunication  Networks  in  view  of  enhancing  112  Emergency  Services:
Recommendations  towards  a  European  policy  and  implementation  plan.  30  April  2002,  Helios
Technology Ltd
The Final Report of the eSafety Working Group on Road Safety, November 2002

11

                                                
improved vision, driver monitoring and intersection safety systems. Each one of these systems
depend on a number of sensors, subsystems and technologies with varying degree of maturity,
some being still in the RTD phase and some already partially introduced to the market.

The  potential  contribution  of  the  introduction  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  for
enhancing road safety and security has already been demonstrated by the industry in a number
of European research and technological development (RTD) projects. However, to realise the
potential  benefits,  the  new  systems  have  to  be  widely  deployed  in  the  marketplace.  It  is
therefore  of  paramount  importance  that  the  public  and  private  sectors  work  together  in
accelerating the development and deployment of these Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems in
Europe. This collaborative approach is expected to result the quickest market penetration of
these  systems.  In  compliance  with  the  data  protection  legislation  and  the  right  to  mobility,
other  technologies  such  as  increased  monitoring  of  the  driver  condition  and  performance,
accident  data  recorders  and  electronic  vehicle  identification  should  also  be  examined,  as
described in the European Road Safety Action Programme.

2.4.

A prerequisite: a positive business case

From the manufacturers’ point of view, the introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems
based  on  costly  sensors,  actuators,  electronic  components  and  subsystems  increases  the
manufacturing cost, power consumption and weight, making it also more difficult to meet the
environmental  requirements  imposed  to  new  vehicle  production.  Furthermore,  problems
associated with the reliability of embedded electronics and especially of the software have to
be solved. Market introduction of new functionality requires tackling liability, type-approval
and Human-Machine Interaction (HMI) issues as well as investments to the infrastructure.

The industry has demonstrated its capability to innovate and bring active safety systems to the
markets, as has been the case with ABS and ESP. The introduction of these technologies is a
very good example of the two main problems the industry is facing in bringing new systems
on the market.

First,  if  the  pace  of  market  introduction  is  dictated  solely  by  the  market  economies  and
competition, it can take a very long time. ABS was first introduced in the 1970’s, and now 30
years later still only 91% of new vehicles are equipped with ABS, with a 66% penetration on
the  whole  vehicle  parc  in  Europe.  The  introduction  of  ESP  has  advanced  a  bit  faster,
achieving  38%  penetration  of  new  vehicles  sold  and  16%  of  the  whole  vehicle  parc  in  five
years after its introduction18.

Secondly, relying solely on the automotive manufacturers’ business case leads to introduction
of  the  new  safety  features  in  the  high-end  range  of  vehicles  first,  then  into  the  mid-range
vehicles  and  finally  to  the  small  and  compact  cars.  This  can  be  easily  understood  by
comparing  the  price  of  the  advanced  safety  systems,  for  example  2000  €  for  a  collision
mitigation  or  adaptive  cruise  control  system,  with  the  selling  price  of  the  vehicles.  As  a
consequence  the  drivers  most  at  risk,  i.e.  the  young,  are  the  last  to  benefit,  as  they  tend  to
drive the older and smaller cars.

Furthermore, more  sophisticated  software  and  electronic  assistance  systems  tends  to  lead  to
more  complexity  in  repairing  and  maintaining  the  vehicles.  As  the  cost  of  repair  and

18

Source: Volkswagen Group research, 2001, German market

12

                                                
maintenance typically accounts for 40% of the total life-time cost of the vehicle, equalling the
purchase price, this is an important issue for the consumers.

Based  on  the  above,  it  is  clear  that  the  wide-spread  take-up  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety
Systems cannot  depend  on  the  private  business  case  only,  and  needs  the  full  support  of  the
public sector, contributing to a positive public/private business case. This business case has to
be  developed  jointly  with  all  actors  involved,  the  automobile  manufacturers,  equipment
suppliers,  motorway  operators,  telecommunication  operators,  service  providers,  automotive
after-sales  players,  insurance  industry,  road  safety  and  user  organisations,  road  authorities,
emergency service providers, Member States and the European Commission. The public and
private  sectors  must  agree  to  co-operate,  to  decide  on  the  role  and  responsibilities  of  each
partner, and take the appropriate actions.

The main mechanisms for the public sector intervention, in contributing to this business case,
are: promoting standardisation  - leading to market harmonisation, larger volumes  and  lower
manufacturing costs; promoting awareness and information - leading to an increased demand
of  safety  systems  and  consumers’  willingness  to  pay  for  advanced  safety  features;  and
working  together  with  appropriate  partners  (public  and  private  sectors)  in  introducing
financial  incentives  for  the  buyers  of  vehicles  equipped  with  advanced  safety  systems.  The
vehicle type approval legislation should be adapted, when necessary, to permit these systems,
or even mandate them, if appropriate.

Introduction  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  requires  a  well-functioning,  competitive
maintenance  and  repair  system  that  guarantees  their  good  functionality  over  time.  The
consumers should be able to choose between alternative providers of repair and maintenance
services. To this effect, the  automotive industry  and  equipment  suppliers  should  respect  the
Commission Regulation with provisions for independent operators to have access to technical
information, training, tools and equipment19.

Finally, in addition to standardisation public authorities have a particular role in steering the
implementation  of  the  appropriate  infrastructures,  including  intelligent  features,  and  putting
forward legislation enabling the wider deployment of ITS.

2.5.

Contributing to pedestrian safety

In  2001  the  European  automotive  industry  (represented  by  ACEA)  committed  itself  to
reducing  the  risk  of  pedestrians  being  killed  and  injured  when  struck  by  a  vehicle.  The
Commitment  was  an  innovative  approach  to  road  safety,  as  it  contained  both  passive  and
active  safety  elements,  as  well  as  a  commitment  by  the  industry  to  progressively  install
additional  active  safety  devices,  including  ICT  elements.  Even  though  it  has  subsequently
been  agreed  that  the  passive  safety  elements  should  be  supported  by  a  directive20,  the
additional  active  safety  devices  and  ICT  elements  remain  subject  to  the  industry
Commitment.

19

20

Commission Regulation EC 1400/2002 of 31 July 2002
Proposal  for  a  Directive  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  relating  to  the  protection  of
pedestrians  and  other  vulnerable  road  users  in  the  event  of  a  collision  with  a  motor  vehicle  and
amending Directive 70/156/EEC, COM(2003) 67 final, 19.02.2003

13

                                                
3.

RATIONALE FOR COMMUNITY ACTIONS

3.1.

Introduction

Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) which enable the building of Intelligent
Vehicles  for  intelligent  roads  will  help  Europe  to  meet  its  expectations  for  mobility  and
economic growth. ICT offer a set of tools which gives the industrial players an opportunity to
meet the challenges related to road safety. First generation Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems,
such  as  ABS  (Anti-lock  Braking  System)  and  ESP  (Electronic  Stability  Programme)  are
already contributing to reducing the number of accidents and fatalities.

A major responsibility for introducing new generation Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems in
vehicles  remains  with  the  automotive  industry,  which  is  developing  them  in  collaboration
with its suppliers, the telematics industry and supported by two other main industrial sectors,
the telecommunications and IT industries.

However, the industry cannot act on its own. The public sector has to work together with the
private sector in a concerted way. The European Commission has to act especially in relation
to 
type-approval  procedures,
telecommunications  and  transport  regulation,  and  in  solving  liability,  standardisation  and
other obstacles in the introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems.

its  competencies  such  as  Community  RTD,  vehicle 

Europe’s citizens should be able to expect the same level of safety and support from the road
infrastructure  for  their  mobility  all  over  Europe,  just  as  they  can  with  regard  to  the  safety
features  of  the  vehicles.  Further  European  level  actions  are  required  for  defining  and
harmonising  the  Member  States’  technical  requirements  and  investments  to  road  and
communications  infrastructure,  especially  those  required  by  the  future  collaborative  road
safety systems.

In many cases a positive private business case for the introduction of safety systems does not
exist,  and  further  public  sector  intervention  in  the  form  of  tax  and  insurance  incentives  is
required for speeding up the deployment of these systems.

3.2.

European  Commission  taking  the  responsibility  for  European  level  public
sector actions

This Commission Communication brings forward the measures the Commission is proposing
to  undertake  to  promote  the  development  and  deployment  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety
Systems, and  to  remove  barriers which prevent their large-scale introduction and  take-up  in
Europe.

The proposed Community actions fall into the following three categories:

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

Promoting Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems

Adapting the regulatory and standardisation provisions

Removing the societal and business obstacles

With  these  actions,  the  Commission  intends  to  facilitate  the  development  and  large-scale
deployment  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  in  Europe,  in  a  way  which  allows  the
European automotive industry to maintain and even increase its world-wide competitiveness,
at the same time benefiting society by  reducing  the number  of  road accidents and  fatalities.

14

These  systems,  when  deployed  in  sufficiently  large  scale,  are  expected  to  make  a  major
contribution to reducing the fatalities on European roads, and provide for the basic need for
Europe’s citizens: safe mobility.

Concerted efforts using techniques noted in this Communication will also help in gaining the
best value for Europe from the deployment of infrastructure management to achieve the three
goals of the White Paper on European Transport Policy of sustainable development, reducing
congestion  and  ensuring  a  more  efficient  use  of  the  available  modes  of  transport  and
especially facilitating greater intermodality between transport modes.

3.3.

Acting together at EU, national and regional level

Although  the  EU  has  a  broad  scope  to  act  on  road  safety,  achieving  the  targets  set  in  the
White Paper on European Transport Policy cannot be the sole responsibility of the European
Union.  Shared  action  encompassing  all  types  of  safety  measures  and  all  players  at  the  EU,
national and regional level is needed. The European Strategy for a partnership approach and
proposed  measures  for  improving  road  safety  are  brought  forward  in  the  European  Road
Safety  Action  Programme:  Halving  the  number  of  road  accident  victims  in  the  European
Union by 2010: A shared responsibility.

A  number  of  measures  introduced  in  this  plan  contribute  also  to  the  goals  of  this
Communication.  Examples  of  such  measures  are  support  to  EuroNCAP  in  progressing
towards new methods  and information  to  the  consumers,  further  development  of  the  CARE
accident  database  and  complementing  it  with  Accident  Causation  Data,  elaboration  of
common  specifications  for  accident  registration  and  improving  methods  for  collecting
accident statistics in the Member States, and the study with the Member States on the need to
include new electronic systems in the framework of technical vehicle inspection and controls.

Shared  action  of  the  European  Commission,  Member  States,  industry  and  other  public  and
private stakeholders is also a pre-requisite in promoting the development, deployment and use
of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems.  The  Final  Report  of  the  eSafety  Working  Group
identified in all 28 actions, on most of which the Member States are expected to contribute.
Further to the actions that constitute this Communication, these include the following:

(cid:1)  Consolidate analyses from the existing EU, Member State and industry road accident

data which give information on the cause and circumstances of the accidents.

(cid:1)  Define  a  common  format  and  structure  for  recording  accident  data  in  the  EU

countries. Develop jointly an European Accident Causation Database.

(cid:1)  Set  up  a  coordinated  validation  framework  for  operational  tests  for  active  safety

systems in the Member States.

(cid:1)  Develop  public  sector  Road  Maps  which  indicate  the  investments  required  for
improvements  in  the  road  networks  and  information  infrastructure  based  on  the
industrial Road Maps, and identify the steps needed for removing regulatory barriers.

(cid:1)  Identify  existing  specifications,  and  where  necessary  develop  new  specifications  for
pan-European, standardised interoperable interfaces and communications protocols for
vehicle-vehicle  and  vehicle-infrastructure  communications  which  will  support
interactive, co-operative safety systems and services.

15

(cid:1)  Establish national liaison groups to co-ordinate the implementation and building up of

the E-112 service chain.

(cid:1)  Stimulate and support road users and fleet owners to buy vehicles with intelligent road
safety functions and to use safety-related services by incentives such as tax reductions,
lowering insurance premiums, and preferential treatment.

(cid:1)  Design  and  execute  awareness  campaigns  that  explain  the  benefits,  functioning  and

use of the Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems to the consumers.

4.

EUROPEAN COMMISSION ACTIONS

The Commission, in close collaboration with other stakeholders is proposing to undertake the
following actions to promote the  development,  deployment  and  use  of  Intelligent  Integrated
Safety Systems in Europe, and to remove barriers which prevent their large-scale introduction
and take-up.

4.1.

Promoting Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems

Road  safety  requires  concerted  actions  by  all  the  safety  stakeholders:  the  European
Commission,  automotive  and  telecommunications  industry  and  operators,  equipment  and
service suppliers, motorway operators, road authorities, insurance companies, road safety and
user  organisations  and  others.  In  order  to  facilitate  co-operation,  the  Commission  will
continue to support a joint platform for all the road safety stakeholders, the eSafety Forum.
The  objective  of  the  Forum  is  to  promote  and  monitor  the  implementation  of  the
recommendations identified by the eSafety Working Group, and to support the development,
deployment  and  use  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems.  The  Forum  will  provide  for  a
platform  to  encourage  and  review  progress  of  the  actions  of  all  stakeholders,  including
industry and the Member States, reporting to the Commission.

The future development of the above-mentioned safety functions requires further RTD in a
number  of  technologies.  The  overall  target  of  Europe,  as  agreed  by  the  Research  Council
Barcelona  in  2002  is  to  invest  3%  of  GDP  on  research  by  the  year  2010.  These  increased
efforts with two thirds of the funding coming from the private sector should cover Intelligent
Vehicle  Safety  Systems  as  one  of  the  priority  areas.  The  Commission  intends  to  use  its  6th
Framework  Programme  for  Research  and  Technological  Development  (2002-2006)  for
supporting  research  in  this  area,  co-ordinated  with  national  research  programmes  and
benefiting  from  the  European  Research  Area  (ERA)  and  international  collaboration.  The
critical  task,  in  which  the  eSafety  Forum  can  play  a  role,  is  determining  the  priorities  for
further  research  based  on  analysis  of  accident  causation  data  and  the  impact  of  potential
countermeasures.  The  international  co-operation  is  expected  to  cover  especially  Human-
Machine  Interaction,  certification  and  testing  methodology  and  procedures,  harmonisation
and  standardisation, 
impact  and  socio-economic  benefit  analysis  and
legal 
benchmarking/best practise.

issues, 

Human-Machine Interaction with increasingly more complex in-vehicle systems is a major
concern.  To 
in  2000  a
Recommendation  on  Safe  and  Efficient  In-vehicle  Information  and  Communication

the  Commission  published 

important 

tackle 

issue, 

this 

16

Systems21, which has been largely adopted by the industry. The Commission proposes now to
assess the situation in the light of technical progress, including the effects of the introduction
of nomadic devices in the vehicles, in collaboration with the industry and the Member States.
Further measures will be then proposed if deemed necessary. An important part of this work
is  the  development  of  workload  assessment,  testing  and  certification  methodology  and
procedures  for  complex  in-vehicle  working  environments  that  involve  interfacing  with  in-
vehicle devices for vehicle control, driver assistance and infotainment.

In  cases  where  a  vehicle  is  involved  in  an  accident,  an  Emergency  Call  (e-Call)  can  be
initiated automatically, and accurate vehicle location and additional safety-related information
can  be  passed  to  the  Public  Service  Answering  Point  (PSAP).  Such  information  cuts
dramatically down the emergency response times, saving lives and reducing the consequences
of  serious  injuries,  and  also  has  the  potential  to  allow  correct  response  in  case  of  accidents
involving  hazardous  goods.  Building  on  the  provision  of  the  so-called  E-112  legislation,
which  is  contained  in  the  new  electronic  communications  directive22,  the  Commission  is
proposing  an  integrated  strategy  for  Pan-European  emergency  services.  These  services  will
build on the location-enhanced emergency services being implemented in the Member States
on  the  basis  of  deliberations  in  the  joint  industry–public  sector  CGALIES23  group,  and  the
recently  adopted  Recommendation  on  the  implementation  of  E-11224,  but  will  include
provisions  for  more  accurate  location  information  and  additional  safety  information.  This
requires  defining  the  interfaces  between  the  vehicles  and  the  telecommunications  network,
and between the telecommunications network and the PSAPs, and solving the related liability
and responsibility issues.

Real-time  traffic and travel  information  (RTTI)  contributes  greatly  to  safety.  In  order  to
facilitate the access to the public sector data, and to enable the private and public sectors to
co-operate in the service provision, the Commission published in 2001 a Recommendation on
the  deployment  of  Traffic  and  Travel  services  in  Europe25.  The  Commission  proposes  now
further  analysis  and  recommendations  for  accelerating  the  take-up  of  the  measures  for
accessing  the  public  sector  data,  enabling  the  establishment  of  public-private  partnerships,
and  the  provision  of  reliable,  high-quality  RTTI  services  in  Europe.  Furthermore,  the
Commission may draw  up  in  its  TENs  ITS Working  Group  recommendations  or  legislation

21

22

23

24

25

Commission  Recommendation of 21 December 1999 on safe and efficient in-vehicle information and
communication  systems:  A  European  statement  of  principles  on  human  machine  interface  Text  with
EEA  relevance  (notified  under  document  number  C(1999)  4786)  ,  published  in  the  OJ  L 19  of
25.1.2000
Directive 2002/21/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 March 2002 on a common
regulatory  framework  for  electronic  communications  networks  and  services  (Framework  Directive)  ;
published  in  OJ  L  108  of  24.4.2002;  Directive  2002/22/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the
Council of 7 March 2002 on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications
networks  and  services  (Universal  Service  Directive);  published  in  OJ  L  108  of  24.4.2002;  Directive
2002/58/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 July 2002 concerning the processing
of  personal  data  and  the  protection  of  privacy  in  the  electronic  communications  sector  (Directive  on
privacy and electronic communications); published in OJ L 201of 31.7.2002.
See  the  Final  Report  of  CGALIES  (Co-ordination  Group  for  Access  to  Location  Information  by
Emergency Services), http://www.telematica.de/cgalies/
Commission Recommendation of 25/07/03 on the processing of caller location information in electronic
communication networks for the purpose of location-enhanced emergency call services, C(2003) 2657
final
Commission Recommendation on the development of a legal and business framework for participation
of  the  private  sector  in  deploying  telematics-based  Traffic  and  Travel  Information  (TTI)  services  in
Europe, OJ L 199/20 24.7.2001

17

                                                
aimed at accelerating the deployment of Real-time Traffic and Travel Information services in
Europe.

18

Commission actions:

(cid:1)  To  facilitate  co-operation  of  all  stakeholders,  the  Commission  will  continue  to

support the eSafety Forum, aiming at a self-sustained platform.

The  eSafety  Forum  will  promote  and  review  progress  of  the  implementation  of  the
recommendations  of  the  eSafety  Working  Group,  and  support  the  development,
deployment  and  use  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems.  The  Forum  will  also
promote  the  development  of  open  platforms,  open  system  architecture  and  user
awareness of  Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems. Where appropriate the  Forum  will
set up specific Working Groups26.

During  an  initial  period  of  two  years,  the  Commission  will  provide  the  necessary
support for the Forum. During this period the model for a self-sustained platform will
be  established  by  the  industry  and  the  Member  States,  with  the  aim  to  shift  the
responsibility to industrial partners at the end of 2004.

(cid:1)  The Commission will determine clear goals and priorities for further RTD under its
6th Framework Programme, and pursue co-ordination with national programmes.

The  Commission  will  invite  the  Forum  to  analyse  existing  accident  causation  data
and to identify clear goals and priorities for further RTD in Intelligent Vehicle Safety
Systems  in  industrial  research,  Community  Research  (Integrated  Projects  in  the  6th
FP) and national research programmes.

Furthermore, 
the  Commission  will  pursue 
development of intelligent integrated road safety technologies.

international  co-operation 

in 

the

(cid:1)  The  Commission  will  determine  what  further  actions  are  required  on  Human

Machine Interaction.

The Commission will invite the eSafety Forum to create a Working Group that will,
taking into  account the  reports by  the  Member States  and the rapid development  in
this  area,  develop  further  recommendations  on  HMI.  The  Commission  will,  on  the
basis of these recommendations, examine if further actions are deemed necessary.

Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  promote  through  its  RTD  funding  and  co-
operation  the  development  of  workload  assessment,  testing  and  certification
methodology and procedures for complex in-vehicle working environments.

(cid:1)  The Commission will promote harmonised, pan-European in-vehicle emergency call

(e-Call) service that builds on the location-enhanced emergency call E-112.

For this purpose the eSafety Forum is invited to set up a Working Group to establish
consensus on the implementation of the pan-European in-vehicle emergency call (e-
Call),  based  on  the  recently  published  Recommendation  and  the  results  of  ongoing
RTD actions.

26

These  are  new  eSafety  Forum  Working  Groups,  operating  under  the  Forum.  They  should  not  to  be
mixed up with the eSafety Working Group which was established in April 2002 and published its Final
Report with 28 Recommendations in November 2002.

19

                                                
the  Commission  encourages 

in  establishing  data
Furthermore, 
requirements,  data  transfer  protocols,  interface  specifications  and  routing  and
handling procedures for the enhanced in-vehicle e-Calls, and standardisation in ETSI
and CEN.

industry 

the 

(cid:1)  The Commission will analyse the progress on the provision of Real-Time Traffic and

Travel Information (RTTI) in Europe, and propose further actions.

The  Commission  will  invite  the  eSafety  Forumto  analyse  the  implications  of  the
RTTI services in road safety including emerging new services based on broadcasting
and mobile communications, taking into account the Member States’ responses to the
TTI  Recommendation.  Special  attention  is  given  to  pan-European  services  and
sustainable business models.

On the basis of this analysis and the recommendations, the Commissionmay consider the
need presenting a progress report to the Council and the European Parliament in view of
keeping focus on the issues and proposing further measures when necessary.

4.2.

Adapting the regulatory and standardisation provisions

Ultra wide band (UWB) automotive radar (SRR) operating at 24 GHz is considered to be a
key  technology  for  the  rapid  and  cost-effective  introduction  of  many  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety  Systems.  SRR  systems  of  this  type  could  validate  relatively  quickly  active  safety
concepts, while giving other technologies the time to mature. However, regulatory barriers to
the  market-led  introduction  of  this  technology  remain,  in  particular  concerning  access  to
appropriate  harmonised  radio  spectrum  in  the  EU.  Such  obstacles  will  affect  timely
achievement  of  Community  road  safety  goals  if  not  solved  co-operatively  with  the  EU
Member  States  within  the  pan-European  Electronic  Communication  Committee  (ECC)  of
CEPT27. The Commission now proposes to take the necessary actions to support the removal
of  regulatory  barriers  to  a  time-limited  legal  use  of  the  24  GHz  spectrum  for  automotive
short-range radar, and to support the standardisation of SRR systems in ETSI.

Before new passenger cars and motorcycles can be placed on the market within the European
Union they must have obtained EC Whole Vehicle Type–Approval, indicating compliance
with  the  requirements  of  a  number  of  separate  EC  Directives.  Other  types  of  vehicles,  e.g.
trucks  and  buses,  etc.  may  also  use  these  Directives  as  the  basis  for  gaining  access  to  the
European  market.  Nonetheless,  the  Commission  also  acknowledges  that  non-legislative
market initiatives should be pursued in order to bring forward improvements in vehicles. The
Commission intends to review the existing situation regarding the introduction of  Intelligent
Vehicle  Safety  Systems,  determine  what  legislative  and  non-legislative  actions  may  be
required, and wherever necessary adjust requirements to accommodate new technologies.

While  the  vehicles  are  equipped  with  an  increasing  number  of  electronic  subsystems,
telematics  platforms  and/or  portable  terminals,  the  need  for  a  responsive  standardisation
process  becomes  extremely  important.  Standardised  solutions  guarantee  wide  market
acceptance,  higher  volumes  and  lower  costs,  benefiting  both  the  manufacturers  and  the
consumers.  The  Commission  proposes  further  measures,  through  a  standardisation  mandate
and  in  collaboration  with  industry,  to  initiate  a  process  in  the  European  Standardisation
Organisations  to  analyse  the  specific  needs  and  priorities  of  the  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety

27

Conference Européenne des Administrations des postes et des télécommunications

20

                                                
Systems for accelerated standardisation in ISO, CEN and ETSI of emerging communications
protocols  for  the  vehicle-vehicle  and  vehicle-infrastructure  communications,  and  for
promotion  of  the  development  of  open  platforms,  open  system  architecture,  and  standard
software, communication protocols, services and human-machine interactions.

Commission Actions:

(cid:1)  The Commission will take the necessary steps to support the removal of legal barriers
to  a  time-limited  use  of  24  GHz  UWB  short-range  radar,  in  particular  concerning
harmonised access to the radio spectrum in the EU.

The Commission will co-ordinate, via the appropriate Community mechanisms (Radio
Spectrum Committee and Telecommunications Conformity Assessment Mechanism28)
and  with  the  CEPT,  the  investigation  of  possible  regulatory  solutions  which  will
enable short-range radars to be rapidly implemented at  24 GHz  for an  initial period,
while  providing  adequate  protection  to  other  potentially  affected  radio  services.  A
long-term transition of radar operation to 77 GHz is expected.

Furthermore,  the  Commission  has  recently  addressed  a  standardisation  mandate
(M329)  to  the  European  Standardisation  Organisations  inviting  them  to  prepare
harmonised  standards  to  be  recognised  under  Directive  1999/5/EC  (the  R&TTE
Directive). ETSI will execute the mandated work.

The mandate  foresees, in a first phase,  the development  of a work  programme to be
further  discussed  with  Member  States  in  the  standing  committee  established  by  the
Directive.  Subsequently  the  European  standardisation  organisations  will  develop
standards in accordance with priorities identified by the Member States.

(cid:1)  The Commission will review the existing EC vehicle type-approval legislation.

The Commission will determine what actions (legislative and non-legislative) may be
required  to  bring  forward  road  safety  improvements  obtainable  with  Intelligent
Vehicle Safety Systems in vehicles.

(cid:1)  The  Commission  will  invite  the  European  Standardisation  Organisations  to  identify

priorities and prepare a standardisation programme.

The  Commission  will  invite  the  European  Standardisation  Organisations,  through  a
standardisation  mandate,  to  identify  the  actual  status  of  standardisation  work  at
European and international level in support of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems, to
identify  specific  additional  needs  and  priorities  for  standardisation  and  subsequently
to  prepare  for  a  common  standardisation  work  programme,  taking  into  account  the
need  to  maintain  coherence  with  activities  such  as  standardisation  in  support  of
eEurope  and  standardisation  in  support  of  the  technologies  proposed  Directive  on
interoperability for Electronic Fee Collection on European roads.

28

Respectively  the  standing  regulatory  committee  for  the  Radio  Spectrum  Decision  (676/2002/EC)  and
for the RTT&E Directive (1999/5/EC)

21

                                                
4.3.

Removing the societal and business obstacles

The  costs  of  road  fatalities,  injuries  and  accidents  have  been  estimated  in  the  Commission
White  paper.  Also,  the  societal  benefits  of  specific  safety  applications/functions  have  been
estimated in a number of reviews, but not recently in a comprehensive manner. The data on
societal  benefits  and  cost/benefit  ratio  are  incomplete  and  not  kept  up-to-date  with  latest
technological  developments.  Therefore,  the  Commission  proposes  measures  to  estimate
societal benefits obtainable through the reduction in accidents, serious injuries and material
damage,  including  an  analysis  of  the  reduction  in  medical  care  and  other  expenses  in  the
Member  States  and  enlargement  states,  and  benefits  like  improved  journey  times,  reduced
congestion and environmental impact.

The  legal  and  liability  issues  of  the  market  introduction  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety
Systems are very complex, involving new risks to the customers, the society and above all the
manufacturers in the terms of product liability and increased financial risks such as call-back
campaigns. The risks regarding product liability are not only technological, but also include
human  factors  such  as  dependability,  controllability,  comprehensibility,  predictability  and
misuse  robustness.  The  Commission  proposes  measures  for  developing  a  methodology  for
risk benefit assessment, achieving an industrial and societal consensus on a European Code of
Practice,  and  for  establishing  guidelines  for  the  market  introduction  of  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety Systems.

The market introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems involves policy, technological,
societal,  business,  legal  and  consumer  aspects.  The  automotive  industry  undertakes  market
introductions  based  on  their  own  assessment  of  the  technological  readiness,  the  market
situation  and  competition  and  the  availability  of  supporting  infrastructure  and  incentives.
From the public sector point of view, it has to be possible to estimate the market introduction
time-table  and  to  use  this  information  to  plan  for  investments  and  to  determine  what  other
measures  (incentives,  removing  regulatory  barriers)  are  required  for  enabling  take-up.
Furthermore, these measures have to guarantee the same level of safety and support from the
road  infrastructure  in  all  European  countries.  The  Commission  proposes  to  promote  the
development of Industry Road Maps, and based on them, elaborate with  the  Member States
Public Sector Road Maps, which predict product development and deployment, and indicate
the  investments  required  for  improvements  in  the  road  networks  and  information
infrastructure base, and identify the steps needed for removing regulatory barriers.

Commission Actions:

(cid:1)  The Commission will estimate the socio-economic benefits.

The  Commission  will  undertake  a  study  to  estimate  the  socio-economic  benefits
which can be obtained through the introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems.
This study will involve all mobility actors.

(cid:1)  The Commission will support the development of an European Code of Practice.

The  Commission  will  promote  through  its  RTD  funding  and  co-operation  the
development  of  a  methodology  for  risk  benefit  assessment  of  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety Systems.

Furthermore, the Commission will invite an eSafety Forum Working Group to pursue
an  industrial  and  societal  consensus  on  a  European  Code  of  Practice,  applicable  to

22

both  system  design  specifications  and  validation  procedures,  and  to  formulate
practical  guidelines  which  facilitate  the  market  introduction  of  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety Systems.

(cid:1)  The  Commission  will  promote  the  elaboration  of  Industrial  Road  Maps  and  the

corresponding Public Sector Road Maps.

The  Commission  will  invite  the  eSafety  Forum  to  elaborate  Road  Maps  for  the
development and deployment of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems. Furthermore, the
Commission  will  launch  consultations  of  Member  States  and  all  other  public  sector
actors on these Industry Road Maps, and based on the results of these consultations,
elaborates with the Member States regularly updated Public Sector Road Maps which
define and indicate the time-table for the required investments and other public sector
measures.

Furthermore, the Commission will review the progress regularly, and propose further
measures when necessary, in particular in cases where the market take-up is reluctant..

4.4.

Other actions

The  European  Commission  will  also  contribute  towards  the  following  actions
undertaken by the industry.

(cid:1)  The  industry  will  develop  a  methodology  to  assess  the  potential  impact  of  the
introduction  of  the  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  and  technologies  in  Europe,
based on the accident causation data and including the analysis of combined systems
(fusion of sensors, integration and use of multiple active safety systems together).

The  Commission  will  support  this  development  through  RTD  funding,  and  by
encouraging the establishment of a Working Group on impact assessment.

(cid:1)  The  industry  will  develop  a  validation  methodology  and  procedures  for  vehicles

equipped with Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems.

First steps towards the development of validation methodology has been taken in the
ongoing  RTD  projects.  The  Commission  will  support  the  further  development  of
validation  methodology  and  standards  of  the  design  and  use  of  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety Systems, based on the Code of Practice (see 4.3) through follow-up actions.

(cid:1)  The  industry  will  define,  produce,  maintain  and  certify  a  European  digital  map

database with road safety attributes.

The  Commission  offers  for  use  by  industry  the  results  of  existing  Community
supported research, which define preliminary requirements for a European digital road
map database. Based on these results, the public sector and industry will jointly decide
on  the  needs  for  additional  road  safety  attributes  for  driver-support  for  information
and warning purposes, such as speed limits information and road configuration data.

The Commission will also support, through the eSafety Forum, the industry-led efforts
for  the  creation  of  a  public-private  partnership  to  produce,  maintain,  certify  and
distribute this digital road map data base.

23

5.

REPORTING

Monitoring of the progress of the recommendations of the eSafety Working Group will be an
important  part  of  the  activity.  The  eSafety  Forum  with  its  wide  membership  will  be  best
placed to perform this important function.

(cid:1)  The eSafety Forum will, as an important part of its activity, monitor and report to the
Commission  on  the  implementation  of  the  actions  and  recommendations  of  the
eSafety Working Group.

(cid:1)  The  Commission  will  support  this  activity  through  RTD  funding  (Specific  Support

Actions).

The  Commission  will  examine  the  recommendations  of  the  eSafety  Forum  and,  if  needed,
report  to  Council  and  European  Parliament  on  the  progress  achieved  and  further  actions
needed to support the development and deployment of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems.

24

ANNEX 1: GLOSSARY OF TERMS

ABS

ACEA

ADAS

CARE

CEN

Anti  lock  brake  system:  Electronically  controlled  braking  system,  which
avoids wheel lock, when braking under slippery road conditions

Association  des  Constructeurs  Européens  d'  Automobiles  (European  car
manufacturers association)

Advanced Driver Assistant Systems

Community Road Accident Database

Comité  Européen 
Standardisation)

de  Standardisation 

(European  Committee 

for

CEPT

Conférence Européenne des Postes et des Télécommunications

CGALIES

Co-ordination  Group  on  Access  to  Location  Information  by  Emergency
Services

DAB

DVB

E-112

e-Call

Digital Audio Broadcast

Digital Video Broadcast

Location  enhancement  of  all  emergency  call.  It  is  a  new  legislation  that
requires all mobile and  fixed  telephone  operators  to  make  available  location
information for every emergency call from July 2003

In-vehicle emergency call. e-calls originating  from vehicles, based on E-112
structure with an accurate location and other safety-related information to be
routed to the Public Service Answering Points

ECC

Electronic Communication Committee

EGNOS

European Geo-stationary Navigation Overlay System

ERA

ESP

ETSI

EU

European Research Area

Electronic Stability Programme

European Telecommunication Standard Institute

European Union

EuroNCAP

European New Car Assessment Programme

FVD

Floating Vehicle Data

GALILEO

European  Satellite  radio  navigation  infrastructure  providing  navigation  and
positioning services from 2008 onwards

25

GDP

GPS

Gross Domestic Product

Global Positioning System

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service

GSM

HMI

ICT

ISO

IST

ITS

Global System for Mobile telecommunications

Human Machine Interaction

Information and Communications Technologies

International Organisation for Standardisation

Information Society Technologies

Intelligent Transport Systems

NHTSA

National Highway Traffic Safety Agency

PSAP

Public  Service  Answering  Point  (service  for  emergency  calls,  fixed  and
wireless)

RDS-TMC

Traffic  Message  Channel  (TMC)  is  a  specific  application  of  the  FM  Radio
Data  System  (RDS)  used  for  broadcasting  real-time  traffic  and  weather
information

RTD

RTTI

SMS

SRR

TEN

Research and Technological Development

Real-Time Traffic and Travel Information

Short Message Text

Short Range Radar

Trans European Networks

UMTS

Universal mobile Telecommunication Systems

UWB

WAP

Ultra Wide Band

Wireless Application

26

ANNEX 2: SUMMARY OF CONSULTATIONS

All  major  road  safety  stakeholders  have  been  consulted.  The  consultation  process,  with  an
emphasis on industrial issues, consisted of two eSafety High-Level Meetings and an eSafety
Working  Group  of  some  40  experts.  The  Member  States  were  consulted  through  the  High-
Level Group on Road Safety, in collaboration with DG TREN.

The eSafety High-Level Meetings and the eSafety Working Group

In  April  2002,  the  Commission  organised,  together  with  the  automotive  industry  and  other
stakeholders, a High-Level Meeting on eSafety.

The  HL  Meeting  had  representatives  from 
the  following  stakeholders:  automobile
manufacturers,  equipment  suppliers,  motorway  operators,  telecommunication  operators,
service  providers,  insurance  industry,  road  safety  and  user  organisations,  road  authorities,
emergency service providers, Member States and the European Commission.

As  a  result  of  this  meeting,  the  partners  decided  to  establish  an  eSafety  Working  Group
consisting  of  some  40  experts,  and  mandated  it  to  propose  a  strategy  for  accelerating  the
research, development, deployment and use of ICT-based intelligent active safety systems for
improving  road  safety  in  Europe.  This  Working  Group  had  a  limited  membership,  but
nevertheless had participants from all important stakeholders.

The  eSafety  Working  Group  concluded  its  work  in  November  2002  and  published  its  Final
Report, with 28 Recommendations.  This Final Report was  discussed  by  the  Second  eSafety
High-Level Group in November 2002, with the following conclusions:

This  2nd  High-Level  meeting,  gathering  some  60  representatives  from  industries,  European
Commission and other public authorities discussed the Final Report of the eSafety Working
Group made the following conclusions:

(1) 

(2) 

Approved the  Final Report as  a basis for the  next steps  in the public-private  eSafety
initiative

Decided  to  establish  an  eSafety  Forum  as  a  more  permanent  body  for  promoting
eSafety and monitoring progress

(3)  Made the e-Call the 1st priority in eSafety

(4) 

(5) 

Acknowledged  the  Commission’s  plans  to  bring  forward  a  Communication  with
community actions in 2003

The  2nd  High-Level  Meeting  made  also  conclusions  related  to  acting  together  on
eSafety,  role  of  the  Member  States,  the  e-Call,  Human-Machine  Interaction,  eSafety
user Demand, the eSafety Forum and the next steps

The High-Level Group on Road Safety

The High-Level Group on Road Safety, consisting of representatives from the Member States,
was given a full briefing on the eSafety initiative in November 2002. Furthermore, the Road
Platform  Meeting,  consisting  mainly  of  Member  States  road  authorities  and  motorway
operators, were briefed of the initiative in March 2003. In both meetings the Member States

27

have welcomed the eSafety Initiative, and expressed the wish for the Commission to come up
with further policy measures regarding eSafety (the Commission Communication).

SUMMARY OF THE RESULTS OF THE CONSULTATION

(cid:1)  The second eSafety High-Level Meeting endorsed the Final Report as the basis for further
actions in advancing the use of ICT for improving road safety in Europe and welcomed the
Commission’s plan to draft a further policy measures.

(cid:1)  The  Member  States  welcomed  the  eSafety  Initiative,  and  expressed  the  wish  for  the

Commission to come up with further policy measures regarding eSafety.

28

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Policy area(s): Information Society Technologies

Activit(y/ies): Research

Title of action: Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European
Parliament on Information and Communications Technologies for Safe and Intelligent
Vehicles

1.

BUDGET LINE(S) + HEADING(S)

B6-6120 Operational credits (ABB 09 04 01)

2.

OVERALL FIGURES

2.1.

Total allocation for action (Part B):

8.162 € million for commitment

2.2.

Period of application:

2004-2006

2.3.

Overall multiannual estimate of expenditure:

(a)

Schedule  of  commitment  appropriations/payment  appropriations 
intervention) (see point 6.1.1)

(financial

€ million ( to three decimal places)

Year

2004

Year

2005

Year

2006

Year

2007

Commitments

0.573 5.872

0.372

Payments

0.573 2.722

2.722 0.800

Total

6.818

6.818

(b)

Technical and administrative assistance and support expenditure (see point 6.1.2)

Commitments

0.016

0.016

0.016

Payments

0.016

0.016

0.016

0.048

0.048

29

Subtotal a+b

Commitments

0.589

5.888

0.388

Payments

0.589

2.738

2.738

0.800

6.866

6.866

(c)

Overall  financial  impact  of  human  resources  and  other  administrative  expenditure
(see points 7.2 and 7.3)

0.432

0.432

0.432

1.296

Commitments/
payments

TOTAL a+b+c

Commitments

1.021

6.320

0.820

Payments

1.021

3.170

3.170

0.800

8.162

8.162

2.4.

Compatibility with financial programming and financial perspective

Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming.

2.5.

Financial impact on revenue:29

Proposal  has  no  financial  implications  (involves  technical  aspects  regarding
implementation of a measure)

3.

BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS

Type of expenditure

New

EFTA
contribution

Contributions
form applicant
countries

Heading in
financial
perspective

Non-comp

Diff

NO

YES

YES

3

4.

LEGAL BASIS

Art. 71 of the EC Treaty

Decision  No  1513/2002/EC  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  27
June  concerning  the  sixth  framework  programme  of  the  European  Community  for
research, technological development and demonstration activities, contributing to the
creation of the European Research Area and to innovation (2002-2006); published in
OJ L 232 of 29.8.2002; and 2002/834/EC: Council Decision of 30 September 2002
adopting  a  specific  programme  for  research,  technological  development  and
demonstration: "Integrating and  strengthening the  European  Research  Area"  (2002-
2006); published in OJ L 294 of of 29.10.2002.

29

For further information, see separate explanatory note.

30

                                                
5.

5.1.

DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS

Need for Community intervention30

For  a  long  time,  the  demand  for  transport  services  has  grown  steadily  for  both
passengers  and  goods.  The  continuing  growth  of  the  economic  activity  and  the
Union’s  enlargement  will  almost  automatically  generate  greater  needs  for  mobility
and  transport  services.  Most  of  this  growth  is  expected  to  be  taken  up  by  the  road
sector at a time when tight public budgets restrict investments to the infrastructure.
The  rising  volumes  of  traffic  further  deteriorate  the  situation  regarding  the  well-
known problems caused by the road transport:

- congestion of the main roads network and urban areas

- harmful effects on the environment and public health

- accidents, causing fatalities, injuries and material damage

Congestion  is becoming  a  major  problem  not  only  on  the  main  roads  and  in  major
cities.  Transport  sector  is  to  blame  for  28%  of  the  emissions  of  CO2,  the  leading
greenhouse  gas. The 1,300,000 accidents per  year in Europe cause 40.000  fatalities
and 1,700,000 injuries, at an estimated cost of 160,000 million €, or 2 % of the GDP
in Europe. Especially the high number of fatalities has become socially unacceptable.

Road  transport  is  a  necessity  for  our  mobility,  but  drastic  measures  are  required  to
tackle these increasing problems.

As  a  result  of  the  efforts  of  the  industry,  the  vehicles  today  are  inherently  safer,
cleaner and more recyclable than before. But the societal costs of road transport are
still by far too high, and new goals have been set.

5.1.1. Objectives pursued

Information  and  Communications  Technologies  (ICT)  which  enable  building
intelligent vehicles on intelligent roads will help Europe to meet its expectations for
mobility  and  economic  growth.  ICT  offer  a  set  of  tools  which  gives  the  industrial
players  an  opportunity  to  meet  the  above-mentioned  challenges,  especially  those
related to road safety.

As  the  number  of  vehicles  with  telematics  grows,  the  market  will  shift  towards
services,  further  integrating  the  automotive  markets  with  two  other  key  industrial
sectors in Europe: Mobile Communications and Information Technology.

The  greatest  potential  in  the  application  of  Information  and  Communication
Technologies  in  solving  transport  problems  is  offered  by  the  Intelligent  Vehicle
Safety Systems, which use advance  ICT for providing new, intelligent solutions for
improving road safety. With these systems the number of accidents and their severity
can  be  reduced,  leading  equally  to  the  reduction  of  fatalities.  The  challenge  is  in
getting these systems deployed to the marketplace in sufficient quantities.

30

For further information, see separate explanatory note.

31

                                                
5.1.2. Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation

In 2001, the European Commission together with the automotive industry and other
stakeholders  established  an  eSafety  Working  Group  consisting  of  some  40  experts,
and  mandated  it  to  propose  a  European  strategy  for  accelerating  the  research  and
development,  deployment  and  use  of  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  including
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).

In  November  2001,  the  Working  Group  published  in  its  Final  the  basis  for  further
actions in advancing the use of ICT for improving road safety in Europe. The report
gives 28 detailed recommendations for action, directed to the European Commission,
the  Member  States,  road  and  safety  authorities,  automotive  industry,  service
providers, user clubs, insurance industry and other stakeholders.

Although the EU has a broad scope to act on road safety, achieving the targets set in
the  White  Paper  cannot  be  the  sole  responsibility  of  the  European  Union.  Shared
action encompassing all types of safety measures and all players at the EU, national
and regional level is needed. The European Strategy for a partnership approach and
proposed measures for improving road safety are brought forward in the Road Safety
Action Plan 2002-2010.

A  number  of  measures  introduced  in  this  plan  contribute  also  to  the  goals  of  this
Communication.  Examples  of  such  measures  are  support  to  EuroNCAP  in
progressing  towards  new  methods  and  information  to  the  consumers,  further
development of the CARE database and complementing it with Accident Causation
Data, elaboration of common specifications for  accident registration and improving
methods  for  collecting  accident  statistics  in  the  Member  States,  and  the  study  with
the Member States on the need to include new electrical systems in the framework of
technical controls.

5.2.

Action envisaged and budget intervention arrangements

5.2.1

Promoting Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems:

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

The  Commission  will  establish  an  eSafety  Forum,  determine  its  objectives,
work programme, membership and organisation.

The  Commission  will  determine  clear  goals  and  priorities  for  further  RTD
under  its  6th  Framework  Programme,  and  pursue  co-operation  with  national
programmes as well as international co-operation.

The  Commission  will  determine  what  further  actions  are  required  on  Human
Machine Interaction, and develop assessment, testing and certification methods
for complex working environments.

The  Commission  will  promote  harmonised,  pan-European 
in-vehicle
emergency  call  (e-Call)  service,  compliant  with  the  location-enhanced
emergency call E-112.

The  Commission  will  analyse  the  progress  on  the  provision  of  Real-time
Traffic and Travel Information (RTTI) in Europe, and propose further actions.
On the basis of this analysis and the recommendations, the Commission actions

32

will  make  a  progress  report  to  the  Council  and  the  European  Parliament,
proposing further measures when necessary.

5.2.2

Adapting the regulatory and standardisation provisions:

– 

– 

– 

The Commission will  take  the necessary steps to remove legal barriers in  the
use of 24 GHz UWB short-range radar.

The  Commission  will  review  the  relevant  parts  of  the  whole  vehicle  type
approval  legislation  and  will  determine  what  actions  (legislative  and  non-
legislative)  may  be  required  for  rapidly  bringing  forwards  road  safety
improvements obtainable with Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems in vehicles.

The  Commission  will  analyse  the  needs  and  priorities  in  standardisation  in
ISO,  CEN  and  ETSI  and  will  undertake  a  study  on  the  specific  needs  and
priorities  on  the  basis  of  the  eSafety  Working  Group  Report  and  the  current
work programmes of the standardisation organisations.

5.2.3

Removing the societal and business obstacles:

– 

– 

– 

The Commission will estimate the socio-economic benefits and will undertake
an  study  to  estimate  the  socio-economic  benefits  which  can  be  obtained
through  the  reduction  of  fatalities,  injuries  and  material  damage  by  the
introduction of Intelligent Vehicle Safety Systems.

The  Commission  will  support  the  development  of  an  European  Code  of
Practice.

The  Commission  will  develop  Public  Sector  Roadmaps  for  the  necessary
infrastructure investments and other public sector  measures. The Commission
will  develop  with  the  Member  States  regulatory  updated  public  sector
Roadmaps.  Furthermore,  the  Commission  will  review  the  progress  regularly,
and  seek  the  support  of  the  other  institutions  and  propose  further  measures
when necessary.

5.2.4

Other actions:

– 

– 

– 

The industry will develop a methodology to assess the potential impact of the
introduction  of  the  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems  and  technologies  in
Europe,  based  on  the  accident  causation  data  and  including  the  analysis  of
combined  systems  (fusion  of  sensors,  integration  and  use  of  multiple  active
safety systems together).

The Commission will support this action through RTD funding, studies and by
establishing  an  industry-led  eSafety  Forum  Working  Group  on  impact
assessment

The  industry  will  develop  a  validation  methodology  and  procedures  for
vehicles  equipped  with  Intelligent  Vehicle  Safety  Systems.  The  Commission
will support this action through follow-up actions.

33

– 

The industry will define, produce, maintain and certify a European digital map
database  with  road  safety  attributes.  The  Commission  offers  to  the  use  by
industry  the  results  of  existing  Community  supported  research,  which  define
preliminary  requirements  for  a  European  digital  road  map  database.  The
Commission will support this action through the eSafety Forum.

5.3.

Methods of implementation

The Commission proposes to provide joint platform for all road safety stakeholders
by  establishing  an  eSafety  Forum.  The  objective  of  the  Forum  is  to  promote  and
monitor  the  implementation  of  the  recommendations  identified  by  the  eSafety
Working Group, and to support the development, deployment and use of Intelligent
Vehicle  Safety  Systems.  The  Forum  will  provide  for  a  platform  to  encourage  and
monitor the actions of all stakeholders, including the Commission, industry and the
Member States.

The  future  development  of  the  above-mentioned  safety  functions  requires  further
RTD in a number of technologies. The Commission intends to use its 6th Framework
Programme for supporting research in this area, co-ordinated with national research
programmes  and  benefiting  from  ERA  and  international  collaboration.  The  critical
task,  in  which  the  eSafety  Forum  can  play  a  role,  is  determining  the  priorities  for
further  research  based  on  analysis  of  accident  causation  data  and  the  impact  of
potential countermeasures.

6.

FINANCIAL IMPACT

6.1.

Total financial impact on Part B - (over the entire programming period)

(The method of calculating the total amounts set out in the table below must be explained by
the breakdown in Table 6.2.)

6.1.1.

Financial intervention

Breakdown

Study on standardisation

Study  on  socio-economic  benefits  of
IIRSS

Development of an European Code of
Practice

RTD funding (related to the
implementation of the actions planned in
this communication)

Conferences + other dissemination
activities

Commitments (in € million to three decimal places)

2004

2005

2006

Total

0.200

0.000

0.000

1.500

0.000

0.000

0.334

0.333

0.333

0.000

4.000

0.000

0.039

0.039

0.039

0.200

1.500

1.000

4.000

0.118

6.818

TOTAL

0.573

5.872

0.372

34

6.1.2.

Technical  and  administrative  assistance,  support  expenditure  and  IT  expenditure
(commitment appropriations)

Missions (20 missions per year x 800€
each)

2004

2005

2006

Total

0.016

0.016

0.016

TOTAL

0.016

0.016

0.016

0.048

0.048

6.2.

Calculation  of  costs  by  measure  envisaged  in  Part  B  (over  the  entire
programming period)31

(Where  there  is  more  than  one  action,  give  sufficient  detail  of  the  specific  measures  to  be
taken for each one to allow the volume and costs of the outputs to be estimated.)

Breakdown

Type
of outputs
(projects, files )

Commitments (in € million to three decimal places)

Number of
outputs

Average
unit cost

(total for years
1…n)

Total cost

(total for years
1…n)

Promoting
Intelligent Vehicle
Safety Systems

Adapting the
regulatory and
standardisation
provisions

Removing the
societal and
business obstacles

TOTAL COST

Missions (20 missions per year x 800€
each)

60 (20 x 3
years)

0.0008

0.048

Conferences + other dissemination
activities

RTD funding (related to the
implementation of the actions planned
in this communication)

Study on standardisation

Study on socio-economic benefits of
IIRSS

Development of an European Code of
Practice

1

1

1

0.118

4.000

4.000

0.200

0.200

1.500

1.500

1.000

1.000

6.866

If necessary explain the method of calculation

31

For further information, see separate explanatory note.

35

                                                
7.

IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE

7.1.

Impact on human resources

Types of post

Staff to be assigned to
management of the action
using existing and/or
additional resources

Number of
permanent
posts

Number of
temporary
posts

Total

Description of tasks deriving from the action

A

B

C

Permanent
officials 
or
Temporary staff

(2A

1 
grades
part-time)

grades

2A 
(full time)

3A

* 2 (part-time) A posts shall be taken from existing
resources in the Unit,

2  additional  A posts  are  necessary  as  Commission
will need:

- to set up the Working Groups and Forum;

- be an active member of the group;

0

0

0

0

- provide the secretariat of the group;

- prepare the annual report to EP and Council;

grade

1C 
(full time)

1C

- manage the studies;

- attend the various working groups;

- consult with industry;

- co-ordinate actions with relevant external bodies;

-co-ordinate actions with other services in the EC

- write legal documents

The C grade will provide support to A staff.

human

Other 
resources

Total

1

3

4

* The need for human and administrative resources shall be covered within the allocation granted to the
managing DG in the framework of the allocation procedure.

36

7.2.

Overall financial impact of human resources

Type of human resources

Amount €

Method of calculation  *

Officials…………………………….2 part time A grade

Temporary staff.........................2A grades and 1 C grade

108,000

324,000

1 x 108,000€

3 x 108,000€

Other human resources........................(give budget line)

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

Total

432,000

7.3.

Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action

1 Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs.

I.

II.

III.

8.

Annual total (7.2 + 7.3)

Duration of action years 2004-2006

Total cost of action (I x II)

€ 432,000

3 Years

€ 1,296,000

FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION

8.1.

Follow-up arrangements

In order to ensure that Community funds are used efficiently, the Commission shall
ensure  that  activities  under  this  communication  are  only  engaged  upon  following
strictly  the  current  financial  and  contractual  procedures,  and  that  the  activities  are
properly monitored and evaluated.

8.2.

Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation

Each year, a report will be produced by the Commission to the European Parliament
and to the Council on the progress achieved in the implementation of these actions,
including proposals for any actions deemed to be necessary.

9.

ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

The control of payments for any service, contract or study requested is carried out by
the  Commission's  services  prior  to  payment,  taking  into  account  any  contractual
obligation,  economic  principles  and  good  financial  or  management  practice.  Anti-
fraud  provisions  (supervision,  reporting  requirements,  etc.)  will  be  included  in  all
contracts made between the Commission and recipients of any payments.

In addition, internal audits or external audits may be carried out by the Commission
services  or  the  Court  of  Auditors  in  accordance  with  the  Treaty  establishing  the
European Community.

37