Flanders Approves Self-Driving Teslas on Belgian Public Roads
Flanders has officially approved Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) Supervised system for use on all Belgian public roads, making Belgium the fifth European country to authorize the advanced driver assistance technology. Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder (N-VA) signed the approval on June 10, positioning the region as a leader in autonomous vehicle innovation.
Context
The decision follows a landmark approval by the Dutch Vehicle Authority (RDW) on April 10, 2026, which made the Netherlands the first EU country to grant type approval for Tesla’s FSD Supervised under Article 39 of EU Regulation 2018/858. Since then, Lithuania (May 20), Estonia (May 29), and Denmark (June 9) have also recognized the approval. Flanders now joins this growing list, leveraging Dutch test data rather than starting from scratch.
According to VRT NWS, the RDW conducted 13,000 test drives covering 1.6 million kilometers over 18 months on European roads. Minister De Ridder noted that thanks to cooperation with Dutch colleagues, a shortened test period was sufficient to assess differences in road infrastructure and traffic codes between the Netherlands and Belgium.
Key Developments
Tesla’s FSD Supervised is an advanced driver assistance system, not a fully autonomous driving system. It can steer, maintain lane position, change lanes, stop for pedestrians at crosswalks, and execute left and right turns. However, the driver must remain attentive at all times, keep their hands available to take over, and bears full legal responsibility for the vehicle.
“It’s actually not a ‘full self-driving’ car, but a ‘mostly self-driving’ car,” explained Steven Latré, AI expert at the Flemish research center imec, in an interview with VRT NWS. “The moment you no longer keep your eyes on the road, the car will detect that and switch to a more manual mode.”
In her official statement, Minister De Ridder emphasized the system’s safety potential: “We believe the system has the potential to contribute to improving road safety. It displays a defensive driving style and can, in certain situations, react faster and more consistently than human drivers.”
The RDW has been equally clear about the system’s limitations. In its official explanation, the Dutch authority stated: “FSD Supervised is an advanced driver assistance system. This means that vehicles using FSD Supervised can take over many driving tasks, but are NOT autonomous or self-driving.” The RDW emphasized that through continuous strict monitoring of the driver, the system is safer than other driver assistance systems.
Analysis and Implications
Belgium’s approval carries significant weight for the future of autonomous driving in Europe. The decision underscores Flanders’ ambition to become a leading region for mobility innovation. “A loud and clear message to the automotive sector: Flanders is open for business,” De Ridder declared.
However, the approval has not been without controversy. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has raised concerns about the process, calling for transparent and inclusive EU policy-making. In an open letter to the European Commission, the ETSC warned that the system’s name is misleading and questioned whether drivers can effectively supervise highly capable assistance systems over time, drawing parallels to aviation automation challenges.
The ETSC also noted that active US federal investigations into FSD were ongoing at the time of European approval, including probes into the system’s failure to detect degraded cameras and traffic law violations.
A key distinction exists between the US and European versions of FSD. The RDW has explicitly stated that the European version underwent 1.6 million kilometers of testing with 400+ compliance requirements documented, and that the software versions and functionalities are not comparable one-to-one.
What’s Next
The RDW has submitted the application for EU-wide approval to the European Commission. A vote by the Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles (TCMV) is expected in late 2026 or early 2027. If approved, this could accelerate autonomous driving adoption across the continent.
For now, Tesla owners in Belgium can use FSD Supervised on all public roads, with a phased rollout and ongoing monitoring of safety effects. The coming months will provide real-world data on how the system performs on Belgium’s complex road infrastructure, and whether the safety promises made by regulators hold up in practice.
Open questions remain about how insurance companies will adapt their policies, how drivers will maintain the required attention levels over time, and what happens when the system encounters situations it cannot handle. These questions will shape the next chapter of autonomous driving in Europe.