Tesla Full Self-Driving EU Vote Delayed to December

Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) will not face an EU-wide vote on October 6. The next opportunity for a bloc-wide decision is now scheduled for December.

The Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles will not decide on the system at its September 11 meeting in Brussels. The draft agenda for that session lists only a 25-minute 'continuation of discussions' on the Netherlands' request for an EU-wide authorisation. The committee does not meet again until December, making that the earliest date for a vote. This same committee has already discussed the request twice without voting.

How approval works in Europe

Tesla's FSD Supervised gained its first European foothold via a national approval in the Netherlands in April 2024. The Dutch regulator used Article 39 of the EU type-approval regulation, a pathway for new technologies that do not fit existing rules. Other member states can recognize this national approval individually.

To convert this into an EU-wide authorisation, the Netherlands must formally request it via Article 39. Passing requires a qualified majority vote from the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles: at least 15 of the 27 EU member states representing 65% of the bloc's population.

Where FSD stands today

Seven EU countries have now cleared FSD Supervised for use on their roads. These nations have recognized the Dutch approval one by one.

Together, these seven states represent about 53 million people, or roughly 12% of the EU population. Tesla Europe stated that over 70,000 customers in these countries are using the system, covering over one million kilometers a day. The company claims its data shows the software is 4.1 times less likely to be involved in a crash than manual driving across 100 million kilometers on EU roads. These figures are company-reported and not independently audited.

Key markets remain unconvinced. Germany, Italy, and Spain have not recognized the Dutch approval. France has already refused it, citing concerns over speeding and driver attention in cities. These four countries together represent about 58% of the EU population. Without support from at least some of them, the 65% population threshold for a qualified majority cannot be met.

Several governments have flagged speed-limit compliance as a major sticking point. Sweden has urged the EU to reject FSD unless Tesla removes the ability to set the system above the posted speed limit. A Brussels pedestrian safety group claimed FSD exceeded the speed limit in 55% of 30 km/h segments tested in a country that had already approved it. Nordic regulators have also raised separate concerns about system performance on icy roads.

What Musk said

Elon Musk responded to news of the delay on social media. His reply was a single word: "Sigh."

The software remains legal and in daily use from Prague to Amsterdam. Until the technical committee votes, it remains unavailable in Paris and Berlin. The next TCMV session in December is now the earliest date a bloc-wide vote on Tesla's FSD Supervised could occur.