ALDE: The digital revolution on wheels
On June 16, the European Parliament’s Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group (ALDE) held a public hearing entitled “The digital revolution on wheels: Europe should not miss the leap forward”. Please read below for the press release issued by the ALDE group.
A couple of years ago, self-driving cars connected to an intelligent transport system sounded like a utopia, but it is becoming a reality now. This digital revolution on wheels holds an enormous potential for Europe − not only in terms of job creation but also regarding more efficient transport, less congested cities and a cleaner environment.
As we are moving towards a driverless future, we need to start thinking about the challenges and questions related to this− from technical questions to consumer safety, the economic impact and current EU legislation as well as the interaction among Member States’ urban transport. That is why ALDE MEP Dita Charanzová hosted a high-level hearing today, bringing together legislators and stakeholders − complemented with the demonstration of a self-driving car.
ALDE Group leader Guy Verhofstadt commented: “The e-call regulation which we adopted in Parliament a year ago was a first step in the right direction, but we need to go further. From cyber security of cars to data protection of mobility data: it all needs to be addressed at the European level. Instead of blocking innovations coming from abroad like Uber, we need a European plan to keep up with the digital revolution.”
Dita Charanzová, ALDE Coordinator on the European Parliament’s Internal Market Committee, concluded after the event: “This digital revolution on wheels represents an enormous potential for Europe. But we need a legal framework on the European level for this new kind of transport and joint European standards to avoid fragmentation between Member States and to ensure that we can reap the benefits of this revolution.”
“What is clear is that there is still a lot of work ahead of us: we will have to address, at a European level, items like liability, insurance, infrastructures and standards that allow true competition in the market and to address, if not ownership, then the usage of the massive amount of data that will be generated by these vehicles. European vehicle manufacturers say they will be ready in 2019; we need to ensure that a regulatory framework is ready too. ”
You want to see ALDE leader Guy Verhofstadt and MEP Dita Charanzová testing the self-driving car? Click here to see the videos:
https://www.facebook.com/GuyVerhofstadt/videos/10154726263020016/
https://www.facebook.com/charanzova/videos/489746701195627/
Source: The ALDE Group
Attachments
In: CLEPA News, Connectivity & Automation, Growth & Competitiveness, Safety