LETTER OF INTENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA, THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC AND THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CONNECTED AND AUTOMATED DRIVING ("Off. Herald of RS - Treaties", No. 12/2018)

PREAMBLE:

- With regard to the commitment agreed by the Republic of Bulgaria and the Hellenic Republic in the Letter of Intent on the testing and large scale demonstrations of Connected and Automated Driving (CAD), signed on March 23 2017, in Rome;

- In view of the European Union’s initiative on the integration of the Western Balkans into the values of Europe;

- Considering the important role that connectivity and automation will have in the upcoming mobility in terms of road safety, environment and efficiency;

- Taking into account the different initiatives and projects within the European Union for Connected and Automated Driving;

- Stressing the need for continuing the collaboration in certain cross-border sections, where high volumes of traffic are registered;

- Highlighting the importance of cross-border cooperation in addressing relevant digital interoperability issues on testing and deployment policies on connected and automated driving;

- Recognizing the importance of sharing knowledge, practices and voluntary common building blocks so as to foster automated driving;

- Fully aware of the EU 5G Action Plan and the developments regarding data economy;

- Establishing the principles, objectives and actions of the Letter of Intent and further European activities and regulations, as the primary premises upon which the collaboration will be built;

- Ensuring the joint commitment of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Serbia towards a sustainable, innovative and safe European transportation system.

The Governments of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Serbia, intent to achieve in close cooperation the goals, set out in the Letter of Intent of Rome by establishing further and closer collaboration in their joint actions, as follows:

SCOPE

The main and most important goals of this document are the following:

- Start assessing existing and upcoming technologies in the field of connected and automated driving;

- Analyze opportunities and positive externalities of the deployment of automated and connected vehicles, with a focus on road traffic safety and traffic management efficiency;

- Foster the use of connected and automated vehicles in order to optimize the impacts on mobility, especially regarding road safety, innovation and environment;

- Raise public awareness and promote knowledge and shared experiences; and,

- Work jointly towards coordinated policies and regulation of automated driving.

SETTING THE FRAME

The Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Serbia have begun the development of a joint conceptual document defining a transport corridor for the implementation of various technologies in the field of connected and automated driving.

This corridor will include the border crossings and key sections of the main roads, where the implementation of current and future mobility technologies to ensure the interoperability and continuity of cross-border transit and automated driving services will be tested.

Thus, in the light of the EU’s discussions on cross-border tests, the three countries intend to open this test corridor, underlining the need to deploy the highest levels of automation on motorways and to achieve mobility solutions for every citizen by improving of public transport through traffic automation and high-quality connectivity.

In particular, the following assumptions are established:

- The corridor will provide a technologically neutral hub for industry, research centers, academia and any other stakeholders for testing and evaluating innovative mobility technologies;

- "Learning by experience approach" and exchange of information will be key points in the use of the corridor; and,

- Recognition and coordination in specific regulations on automated driving testing will be key aspects in the collaboration.

CORE ACTION FIELDS

For the aforementioned purposes, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic, and the Republic of Serbia intend their willingness to cooperate and concentrate their joints efforts and initiatives on the subsequent Action Fields:

DATA EXCHANGE

Assessment and analysis of vehicle generated data flow will become a key area in order to ensure the seamless and safe travel of road users in the three countries. For materializing this strategic aspect for future mobility, the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Serbia will work towards a harmonized definition of:

- Common criteria for collecting, processing and sharing safety-related traffic data and information with road users, taking into account current and future European conditions settings and recommendations;

- Unified business architecture aiming at facilitating the exchange of traffic data between traffic authorities in the three countries;

- Use of existing technologies applicable for the exchange of information (LTE 3G & 4G), with special focus on immediate upcoming developments that will revolutionize communications by 2020 (5G);

- Facilitation and codification of voluntary arrangements in relation to cybersecurity.

COMMON APPROACH ON REGULATIONS

Common policies and coordinated regulations allowing a rapid and safe deployment of automated driving, will significantly contribute to a smoother and successful use of advanced technologies in vehicles. These technologies will firstly turn the Southeast Europe in one of the innovative areas in Europe for testing and implementation of automation in mobility, leveraging one of the safest and most modern and common transportation facilities in the world; and secondly, will represent an essential foundation for the transformation of the present mobility towards inclusion and impacts-free.

The measures to be developed will aim at:

- Coordination and recognition of automated vehicle testing regulation and procedures;

- Automatic and direct communication of lessons learned and experiences gained by the three countries; and

- Coordination in future national traffic regulations on the deployment and registration of highly and fully automated vehicles, to ensure cross-border and international traffic.

COORDINATED POLICY ACTION

In order to reach the objectives of this Letter of Intent and aiming at raising public awareness, setting coordinated policy actions and measures will be an essential fundament comprising, among others, the following aspects:

- Research and innovation, especially with respect to the efficiency of automated driving vehicles on the enhancement of road safety and mobility, considering essential aspects like societal inclusion and intermodality;

- Promotion of the participation and involvement of national research centers;

- Dissemination of knowledge to industry, experts and society in general;

- Consolidation of the Republic of Bulgaria, the Hellenic Republic and the Republic of Serbia, as innovation hubs for pioneering mobility projects and technologies;

- Attraction of national and international industry; and,

- Joint public communication policies, with special focus on automation benefits for the society.

IMPLEMENTING BODIES

The state authorities of the three countries, responsible for managing, implementing, assessing and monitoring the purposes and deployment and continuation of the measures and actions of this declaration will be:

FOR THE REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA

Ministry of Transport, Information Technology and Communications

E-mail: mail@mtitc.government.bg

FOR THE HELLENIC REPUBLIC

Ministry of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media

E-mail: gdepik@yme.gov.gr

FOR THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Ministry of Trade, tourism and Telecommunications

E -mail: connected.cars@mtt.gov.rs

THIS LETTER OF INTENT IS A NON-BINDING DOCUMENT.

Done at Sofia, on June 26, 2018, in three original copies in English, one copy for each side.

Sofia, 26 June 2018

For the Republic of Bulgaria

For the Hellenic Republic

For the Republic of Serbia