Tesla’s push to bring its Full Self-Driving software to more European drivers has taken a new step after the Dutch vehicle authority formally notified the European Commission that it plans to seek EU-wide approval.
The Netherlands’ regulator, RDW, has already approved Tesla’s Full Self-Driving software for use in the Netherlands and now wants to take the case to the broader European process, which could eventually allow a wider rollout across the bloc.
Dutch approval could become a gateway for a broader EU rollout
According to Reuters, Bernd van Nieuwenhoven, RDW’s general manager of type approvals, said the Dutch regulator has informed the Commission of its intention to pursue broader European authorization.
CNBC shared that a European Commission spokesperson shared that the Netherlands will present the case to the relevant technical committee in May.
If the test evidence is judged satisfactory and a majority of EU member states supports the move, the next step would be an implementing act authorizing the Netherlands to grant EU type-approval, opening the door to an EU-wide rollout.
Even before that stage, Reuters said individual countries could still decide on their own to allow the technology using the Dutch approval as a reference point.
Van Nieuwenhoven shared that there are likely already bilateral conversations with other regulators and said RDW is prepared to explain its technical conclusions.
That makes the Dutch decision important not only for Tesla’s local plans, but also as a possible template for the rest of Europe.
The system is approved — but still classed as driver assistance
Reuters said Tesla’s software can steer, brake, and accelerate under human supervision even when the driver’s hands are not on the wheel. But Van Nieuwenhoven stressed that despite the branding, this is still driver-assistance software, not a fully autonomous car.
He added that RDW believes the system can be used safely on all roads in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam’s narrow streets shared by cars, bicycles, e-bikes, and other traffic.
That distinction matters because Tesla markets the product as Full Self-Driving, but regulators continue to treat it as a supervised driver-assistance system.
The European version will not be directly comparable to the US version because the regulatory process is different.
The Dutch-European version includes stricter driver-attention monitoring, and any significant software update must be checked with RDW ahead of time.
A potential boost for Tesla in a difficult European market
The European approval effort comes at a sensitive time for Tesla.
The company is counting on self-driving software to help revive vehicle sales in Europe, where demand has weakened because of its aging electric-vehicle lineup.
Tesla shares rose 0.5% to $350.52 in US trading on Monday after the development, slightly ahead of the Nasdaq.
The Netherlands is especially important for Tesla as it is the most popular electric-car brand in the country, with around 100,000 Model 3 and Model Y vehicles combined already on Dutch roads and eligible for the software.
One customer, Kees Roelandschap, said he subscribed to the service for 99 euros ($115) per month and installed it by Saturday night.
He described the driver monitoring as strict, but supple, noting that using a phone or wearing a visor that blocks a driver’s view could trigger warnings and eventually shut the system off.
Europe’s test may be stricter than America’s
Tesla’s US rollout remains controversial.
The software is already sold by subscription in the United States, but Tesla is still facing consumer lawsuits, federal investigations, crashes, and reports of traffic violations tied to the technology.
That leaves Europe in an unusual position: it may allow the system more broadly, but only through a more tightly supervised and regulator-heavy process.
For Tesla, the Dutch move is not yet a Europe-wide victory.
But it is the clearest regulatory opening the company has had on the continent so far — and one that could reshape how quickly its self-driving ambitions spread beyond the Netherlands.
