Key takeaways: - Eighteen EU countries have signed a declaration to create cross-border test zones for autonomous vehicles. - The initiative covers freight road transport, logistics and public transport. - Participating states want to align type-approval, permitting and deployment procedures for autonomous vehicles. - Poland is among the signatories. - The Connecting Europe programme has earmarked €20m in 2026 to develop digital infrastructure supporting autonomous driving. The declaration was signed on 8 June in Luxembourg alongside a meeting of the EU Transport Council. It was endorsed by the transport ministers of 18 member states together with Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the EU commissioner responsible for sustainable transport and tourism. A coordinated approach to automated transport in Europe The initiative forms part of the European Action Plan for the Automotive Industry and is intended to support a more coordinated rollout of autonomous vehicles across the European Union. A central element is the creation of cross-border test zones for different automated transport use cases — including freight transport and logistics as well as public transport. Participating countries plan to work on common approaches to vehicle type-approval, permitting processes and the practical steps required to deploy new solutions. The declaration also highlights the objective of enabling faster deployment — including in cross-border operations — while maintaining consistent safety standards. From fragmented systems towards a more unified market Signatories say they will apply a shared set of technical requirements based on existing EU rules on vehicle type-approval and the safety of automated driving systems. The document calls for closer cooperation between national type-approval authorities, including information sharing on testing, and steps towards mutual recognition of approvals and vehicle authorisations. The aim is to make it easier to move autonomous vehicles into commercial operation, including vehicles operating without a safety driver. At the same time, the declaration