Spain has joined 21 other countries in a formal pact to establish cross-border test zones for autonomous vehicles. The project began with 18 EU countries in June 2026. Spain, Portugal, Slovakia and Norway joined later, bringing the total to 22. The agreement shifts the focus from national pilots to a coordinated European plan for driverless transport.
The agreement is the Joint Declaration of Intent on large-scale cross-border testbeds for automated vehicles. Spain and its partners plan to build real-world corridors where autonomous cars and logistics vehicles can cross borders instead of operating within a single country. The test zones will assess digital infrastructure and the vehicles themselves, with the aim of moving from laboratory trials to real-world use. Spain signed the declaration a week before Portugal, Slovakia and Norway. Those countries signed at the Connecting Europe Days event in Brussels on September 29, 2026, several European news outlets reported.
The European Commission says the project is part of the European Automotive Action Plan. It aims to prepare for coordinated commercial deployment of autonomous transport across Europe, alongside testing.
Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden are among the 22 signatories. The declaration was endorsed under the leadership of Stéphane Séjourné and Apostolos Tzitzikostas. The plan calls for aligning rules: countries will work together on vehicle approvals and circulation permits. A car cleared in one country should be able to operate in another, supported by mutual recognition of approvals and a single set of technical rules for vehicles in the testbeds. But, the European Commission has made clear that the declaration is a political structure, not an automatic right for a vehicle approved in one country to lead in another. National permits are still required.
The agreement also supports the rollout of vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) technology on Europe’s roads. The European Commission’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program will help fund digital upgrades for the new corridors. Sector analysts say the project covers public transport and freight, as well as logistics and passenger cars. Its aim is to expand small national tests into large-scale, real-world trials.
The Spanish automotive association ANFAC has publicly supported Spain’s accession, saying common requirements and harmonized procedures are needed, along with coordination among authorities, to accelerate the transition of autonomous vehicles from testing to real-world use.
One national authority in each country will approve each vehicle model, but the process will be shared. Authorities from all signatory countries can help interpret technical rules and assess scenario-based tests, while also monitoring safety after deployment. The goal is for driverless vehicles to operate commercially across borders without a safety driver, changing passenger and freight transport in Europe. Each country will still decide under its own laws which roads are open to these vehicles. No specific cross-border corridors have been named yet.
For Spain, the agreement puts the country’s technology and industry in the spotlight for future European projects. Cecilia Medina, New idea and Talent Manager at SERNAUTO and coordinator of the ‘Move to Future’ platform, said Spain’s long experience in connected and automated mobility now has a direct path to large European deployment programs. In her words, "Now it is impressive that this experience translates into effective participation in large European deployment programs."
Spain’s move also gives local companies and research centers an chance to join European demonstration and deployment projects. The agreement is expected to raise Spain’s profile in upcoming calls and initiatives for automated and connected vehicles. Independent reports say Spain’s participation could make multi-country trials easier and reduce regulatory confusion. Fully driverless cars are not immediately cleared for public roads: each project will still require technical approval, national permits and its own test plan.
The structure is designed to grow gradually. Early phases will be limited to small or clearly marked areas, with expansion as systems prove safe and reliable. Under the shared model, lessons from one country can spread across the network.
The push for unified driverless-car testing comes as digital tools and artificial intelligence are already changing how Spaniards use cars, local media have previously reported.
Spain’s signature signals its desire to take part as Europe shapes the future of mobility. By joining the continent’s automated transport initiative, Spain is backing its own industry and expertise. The next step is to move the cross-border corridors from plan to pavement. Spain’s industry will need to act quickly to seize the opportunities.
