France Firmly Rejects Approval for Current Version of FSD
France has officially refused to approve Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system, citing significant safety concerns. French Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot stated on July 22 that the current version of FSD presents two major safety issues: the system permits vehicles to exceed speed limits and fails to ensure drivers remain adequately attentive in complex urban environments. Tabarot emphasized that these flaws do not meet France’s safety standards for driver-assistance systems, leading the government to withhold approval.
Tabarot further elaborated that France’s own assessments revealed FSD’s inability to guarantee optimal driver attention during high-risk scenarios, such as lane changes, intersections, and roundabouts. Additionally, the system allows drivers to set speeds above legal limits, a design choice that conflicts with France’s road safety principles. Tabarot clarified that FSD "is not a self-driving system" and that its current safety compromises are insufficient for approval in France.
France Insists on EU-Wide Review as Key Priority
France’s decision contrasts with the Netherlands, which became the first EU country to approve FSD in April. Following the Dutch approval, Denmark and other EU nations began adopting the system, but France argues that individual national approvals are inadequate for Europe-wide deployment. Tabarot stressed that France will not rubber-stamp approvals granted by other countries and instead demands a unified testing protocol and review framework established by the European Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).
France’s Ministry of Transport recently sent a representative to the Netherlands to review FSD’s technical data and plans to convene France’s autonomous vehicle ecosystem this autumn to discuss the approval process. In his statement, Tabarot affirmed France’s support for autonomous driving technology but declared that "road safety will not be compromised." He noted France’s influence in Europe’s autonomous vehicle sector and pledged to push for stricter review mechanisms to ensure consistent safety standards across all self-driving systems.
Speeding Issue Draws Regulatory Scrutiny Across Europe
FSD’s speeding functionality has become a focal point for regulators across Europe. Tabarot stated that FSD’s allowance for speeding contradicts France’s road safety principles and questioned whether Tesla could address the issue in the near term. Sweden has already urged the EU to reject FSD unless Tesla removes the speeding feature, while European regulators have raised concerns about the system’s safety since spring 2026. France’s stance has further highlighted these controversies.
Tabarot disclosed that Tesla previously submitted misleading FSD safety data to European regulators, prompting discussions between French authorities and the company. He described France’s review approach as "cautious but reasonable," emphasizing that it is not targeted at any specific company but aims to establish an EU-wide framework ensuring uniform safety standards for all autonomous driving systems. Tabarot underscored France’s goal of requiring Tesla to present concrete solutions for speeding and driver attention issues, subject to rigorous EU-level scrutiny.
It remains unclear whether Tesla has submitted a revised version of FSD for review in France or the EU, nor is there clarity on the timeline for an EU-wide approval process. France’s decision is expected to delay FSD’s deployment in Europe and may prompt other EU countries to reassess their approval standards. Tabarot stated that France will continue collaborating with EU partners to advance autonomous driving technology while ensuring that innovation aligns with road safety priorities.
