HELSINKI — Finland could give the green light to Tesla’s self-driving assistance technology sooner than a broader European Union decision anticipated for October, the country’s transport authority announced Tuesday.
In April, the Netherlands became the first nation in Europe to grant provisional approval for Tesla’s Full Self-Driving, known as FSD, marking an initial step toward a possible EU-wide rollout if a qualified majority of member states vote in favor. Estonia and Belgium have since joined the Netherlands in permitting the technology, which enables vehicles to steer themselves — though some regulatory bodies have expressed reservations.
“An EU-wide solution can be expected in October 2026. However, Traficom is prepared to proceed on a faster schedule after the summer if the necessary additional information has been obtained on the key areas of assessment,” the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency, known as Traficom, said in an official statement.
Traficom outlined several areas currently under review, including how quickly drivers are able to resume control of the vehicle, how the system handles passing maneuvers in low-visibility conditions on Finnish roads, and a speed offset feature that has drawn concern from neighboring Sweden and Norway.
Despite those open questions, Traficom indicated its general assessment of the system has been favorable. The EU-wide committee vote is set for October, and the next discussion among member states is scheduled for June 30.
Approximately 6,500 vehicles in Finland are already equipped with the FSD system, representing about 0.24% of the country’s 2.7 million passenger cars.
Because Tesla’s FSD still requires a human driver to remain attentive and ready to intervene, it is not classified as fully autonomous. However, Traficom noted that genuinely self-driving vehicles could begin appearing on Finnish roads as early as 2028.
Reuters previously reported in May that Finland was among several European countries Tesla reached out to following the Dutch approval, inquiring whether they would be open to following suit.
