A recent automated-driving demonstration in Maastricht, the Netherlands, highlighted an important deployment challenge. The vehicle navigated public roads confidently but became uncertain as it approached the selected parking facility. It could not identify the precise entrance and the driver had to take control.
The demonstration showed how automated driving depends on accurate and current information about both public roads and the destination environment. Vehicle sensors, artificial intelligence and high-definition maps are important, but their performance can be limited when the digital representation of infrastructure no longer matches physical conditions.
Furthermore, France has recently declined to support Full Self-Driving (FSD Supervised) technology its current form. In an official response published on 22 July 2026, Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot acknowledged its technological progress but said that the available safety assurances were not yet sufficient. While this is different from other EU Member States, France is continuing technical discussions with the Netherlands and other EU Member States, reflecting its preference for a coordinated European approach to assessment and authorisation
Two ERTICO platforms, Transport Network Intelligent Transport Systems (TN-ITS) and Enhanced Automated Valet Parking (EAVP), addresses adjacent parts of this information chain. TN-ITS supports the exchange of authoritative public road data, while EAVP supports the transition from the road network into the parking environment.
The importance of authoritative road data
Road conditions and regulations change continually. Authorities introduce new traffic circulation plans, update speed limits, alter lane configurations and apply access restrictions. Parking entrances and local access arrangements can also change.
Automated and connected mobility services need these updates quickly and in a consistent format. If they rely only on indirect observation or retrospective reconciliation, digital maps may not reflect the latest authoritative information.
TN-ITS enables road authorities to exchange trusted updates on static and regulatory road attributes with digital map providers and mobility service providers. These updates can cover:
- speed limits
- access restrictions
- lane information
- road geometry
- traffic signs and regulations
- other changes affecting the use of the road network.
Information comes directly from the responsible public authority, strengthening its trustworthiness, timeliness and consistency. This supports navigation, Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA), Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), connected mobility services and future Levels 3 and 4 automated-driving use cases.
The Maastricht demonstration also illustrated the practical consequences of incomplete information. A system may perform well across most of a journey but still require driver intervention if it cannot identify a lane correctly or determine how to enter the destination facility.
Completing the journey through the parking environment
Trusted public road information supports the journey to the destination area. EAVP addresses the next operational stage: entering, navigating and using the parking environment.
EAVP services can include:
- parking discovery
- guidance to the relevant facility
- reservation support
- automated access
- indoor navigation
- payment
- automated valet parking.
The Alliance for Parking Data Standards version 5 (APDS v5) provides a common framework through which vehicle manufacturers, parking operators and parking service providers can exchange relevant information. APDS is also represented through DATEX II Part 6 and NeTEx, supporting alignment with European data exchange standards for traffic management and urban transport.
TN-ITS and EAVP therefore serve complementary functions. TN-ITS provides authoritative information about the public road network and its regulations. EAVP supports the operational parking ecosystem around arrival, access and vehicle handover.
A connected European mobility data ecosystem
The issues observed in Maastricht reflect a broader European deployment challenge. Progress in automated driving depends partly on the quality, governance and interoperability of the supporting digital environment.
Road authorities, cities, parking operators, map providers and mobility service providers each hold information required at different points in the journey. Coordinating their contributions through trusted standards and interoperable publication routes is central to reliable deployment.
This article also connects with the wider ERTICO project series. TN-ITS, NAPCORE and TISGRADE contribute to a more consistent European mobility data ecosystem from different perspectives. TN-ITS focuses on authoritative road data exchange, NAPCORE supports coordination between National Access Points and TISGRADE examines the maturity and performance of Intelligent Transport Systems deployment. Future-facing initiatives such as Fuse4CCAM are expected to strengthen trusted data platforming for Cooperative, Connected and Automated Mobility.
From the public road to the parking space: the Maastricht demonstration
During the Maastricht demonstration, the automated vehicle completed the public-road section of the journey with only limited intervention. One noticeable error involved interpreting a cycle lane as a general traffic lane, underlining the system’s dependence on accurate digital road attributes.
The greater difficulty emerged near the selected parking facility. The vehicle could not identify the exact entrance or continue safely into the parking environment. This interrupted the automated journey and required the driver to resume control.
The example demonstrates how TN-ITS and EAVP can support continuity across the journey. TN-ITS provides the authoritative road and regulatory information needed to reach the destination area. EAVP provides the services and parking data needed to manage arrival, facility access, indoor navigation, payment and automated parking.
Implications for Stakeholders
- Road and transport authorities: TN-ITS provides a standardised route for publishing authoritative changes to road infrastructure and traffic regulations.
- Map and mobility service providers: Direct access to trusted authority data can improve the timeliness and consistency of digital road information.
- Parking operators and service providers: EAVP and APDS v5 support interoperable service delivery across discovery, reservation, access, navigation and payment.
- Vehicle manufacturers and policymakers: Coordinated public-road and parking data can support safer, more predictable deployment of connected and automated mobility services.
What's Next?
Further deployment will require continued cooperation between public authorities, data providers, parking operators, vehicle manufacturers and mobility service providers. Particular attention will be needed at the points where responsibility for information moves between the public road network and privately or commercially operated facilities.
The wider project series will examine these connections from several perspectives, including National Access Point coordination through NAPCORE, deployment assessment through TISGRADE and the parking journey through EAVP.
Together, these activities can help establish a more consistent data environment for connected and automated mobility across Europe.
Read more about ERTICO Innovation platforms
Glossary
- ADAS: Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
- APDS: Alliance for Parking Data Standards
- EAVP: Enhanced Automated Valet Parking, an ERTICO initiative focused on Autonomous Parking
- ISA: Intelligent Speed Assistance
- NAPCORE: National Access Point Coordination Organisation for Europe
- TN-ITS: Transport Network Intelligent Transport Systems, an ERTICO initiative focused on ITS standardisation
- TISGRADE: An ERTICO initiative focused on ITS deployment maturity, performance assessment and implementation support
