{"id":89157,"date":"2026-10-29T11:48:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T11:48:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tesla-mag.com\/en\/?p=89157"},"modified":"2026-10-29T15:43:20","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T15:43:20","slug":"tesla-fsd-italy-salvini-eu-approval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tesla-mag.com\/en\/tesla-fsd-italy-salvini-eu-approval\/","title":{"rendered":"Italy backs a swift EU approval of Tesla’s FSD, Matteo Salvini says after talking with Elon Musk"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After Berlin, Rome. Matteo Salvini, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, wrote on Thursday 29 October that Italy “supports a swift EU approval” of Tesla’s driver assistance system. He said so after a conversation with Elon Musk. Italy is the European Union’s third most populous country, and its weight counts in the EU vote still to come.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Matteo Salvini’s message<\/strong> (Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Italy), posted on X on 29 October 2026 at 9:21 CET<\/p>\n\n

“Very positive and constructive conversation with @elonmusk today. Italy is looking with great interest at the opportunities offered by assisted driving technologies, with a focus on innovation and road safety, and supports a swift EU approval of Tesla Assisted Driving. Thanks for the exchange, Elon!”<\/p>\n\n

Read the original message<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What Rome says, and what it does not<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The message is three sentences long. It states a position of principle: Italy supports a European approval, and wants it quick. It uses the name Tesla now gives FSD (Supervised) in Europe, “Tesla Assisted Driving”. And it stresses road safety, a theme Salvini’s ministry keeps highlighting: on 15 October it welcomed 162 fewer road deaths in Italy in 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The message does not say everything. It gives no date and announces no Italian procedure of its own. Rome does not say it will recognise on its territory the provisional approval granted by the Netherlands, as the countries already allowing the system have done: it talks about an EU approval. At the time of writing, the ministry had published no press release on its website, and Tesla had not commented. Elon Musk replied to Matteo Salvini at 13:02 GMT: “Much appreciated. Thank you!” (on X<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why this support matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Since the provisional approval granted on 10 April 2026 by the Dutch authority, the RDW, each European country has moved at its own pace. Tesla currently lists ten European countries where the system is deployed, from the Netherlands to Latvia. An approval valid across the whole Union requires the EU’s Technical Committee on Motor Vehicles to agree by qualified majority: at least 15 of the 27 member states, representing at least 65% of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

None of the Union’s four most populous countries is on that list. Yet large countries weigh heavily in the count, and two of them have now spoken out for a swift EU approval. On 6 October, German Transport Minister Steffen Bilger pledged to push for a quick approval across Europe, after reaching an agreement with Tesla on speed. Italy follows three weeks later. France, the second most populous country, remains: its transport ministry started road tests on 2 September and has agreed to answer our questions in writing; its answers will be published once it has approved them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it means for owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n