ETSC and partners urge European Commission to establish dedicated EU Road Safety Agency

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC), alongside six major European civil society organisations, has sent a joint letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, urging the establishment of a dedicated EU Road Safety Agency. The signatories argue that creating such a body is essential to achieve the EU’s “Vision Zero” goal of eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

The letter, dated 2 December 2025, stresses that road transport remains the only major transport mode without a dedicated EU authority for safety, a gap that does not exist for aviation (EASA), maritime (EMSA), or rail (ERA). This absence leads to fragmented oversight, inconsistent enforcement, and unequal protection for citizens across Member States.

The organisations highlight that a centralised authority is particularly crucial for overseeing the rapid development and deployment of automated vehicles. Such vehicles rely on complex cross-border pilot projects and software-based updates that often exceed national regulatory capacity.

The signatories call on the Commission to consider the new Agency in its forthcoming financial and legislative planning. They also reminded President von der Leyen that the Commission’s own strategy for sustainable and smart mobility previously committed to “explore options to further support safe, smart and sustainable road transport operations under an existing agency or another body,” the outcome of which is still pending following a 2023 consultation.

The letter says an Agency would,”fill a critical gap in the EU’s transport safety architecture and demonstrate a tangible commitment to the Vision Zero goal of eliminating road deaths by 2050″.

Co-signatories:

European Transport Safety Council (ETSC)

European Cyclists’ Federation

Eurocities

Clean Cities Campaign

Transport & Environment

POLIS

International Federation of Pedestrians