site.btaBetween AI and Regulation: Will Autonomous Vehicles Soon Appear On Bulgarian Streets? In early March, Associated Press reported that London’s streets are expected to welcome robotaxis soon, while in mid-February dpa said that German carmaker Volkswagen is preparing to launch self-driving minivans in a third European city and its first outside Germany. At the end of 2025, Toyota opened an experimental “Woven City” in Japan featuring autonomous cars and robots. But where does Bulgaria stand in this process and will autonomous vehicles soon appear on Bulgarian streets? In response to a BTA inquiry about the development of intelligent transport systems (ITS) in Bulgaria, the Ministry of Transport and Communications said the country is at a key stage in deploying these technologies. The requirements of Directive 2010/40/EU, which establishes a framework for the development of ITS in Europe, have been implemented, along with its amendment – Directive (EU) 2023/2661, which prepares Member States for connected and automated mobility, including autonomous vehicles. According to the directive, cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) need to be developed, enabling vehicles to “communicate” with each other and with road infrastructure. This will allow drivers and autonomous vehicles to receive information and warnings about road hazards, handle more complex traffic situations, and facilitate safe autonomous driving. The Ministry noted that amendments adopted in 2025 to the Ordinance on the conditions and procedure for the deployment of intelligent transport systems, along with the Public Transport Act, have created the necessary conditions to accelerate the introduction of ITS in the country. Additional primary and secondary legislation is planned to fully regulate cooperative and automated mobility, including autonomous driving. Timeline for the introduction of autonomous vehicles in Bulgaria The deployment will take place once economic conditions make the technology viable, Assen Nachkov, a PhD student at the Institute for Computer