Cooperative intelligent transport systems (C-ITS) enable ITS users to interact and cooperate by exchanging secured and trusted messages without prior knowledge of each other and in a non-discriminatory manner. The EU C-ITS security credential management system has three central roles that the Commission shall be responsible for ensuring are executed. Priority area IV is dedicated to ITS services for Connected and Automated Mobility (CCAM). Work on specifications under the ITS Directive will restart in 2026, covering the EU C-ITS security credential management system, harmonised C-ITS services, and fostering development and implementation of C-ITS. Currently, 2.5 million vehicles are sold and 20,000 km of roads are equipped with C-ITS, with 100,000 km covered by C-ITS services across more than 50 European cities in 21 European countries.

The Task Force on Vehicular Communications held its thirteenth session on 23rd January 2026 in Geneva. Presentations on Vulnerable Road Users protection were delivered by Japan, China, and Car2Car, addressing VRU accident analysis, pilot projects, national standardization frameworks, and collective perception approaches. Common themes included sensor limitations, functional safety needs, and harmonized communication standards. The Task Force agreed to continue discussions at its next session.

The agenda includes discussions on protecting vulnerable road users.

SAE J3224 supports vehicle-based V2X sensor sharing via SDSM. SAE J3224/1 describes infrastructure-based detection and sharing of VRU information, with final approval in Motor Vehicle Council balloting and publication planned for August 2026. SAE J3251 specifies OBU device requirements for CDA-equipped vehicles and wheeled VRU types, with publication targeted for Q3 2027. SAE J5001 on PSM communications is on hold due to spectrum limitations and market adoption issues.

Presentation on technology and application validation of VRU protection services across three parts. Part 1 validates functional and process validation; Part 2 tests performance under low-density scenarios; Part 3 tests performance under high-density scenarios with three sub-scenarios: sensing multi-VRUs, multi-services concurrency, and multi-VRUs transmitting PSMs concurrently. Validation encompasses three communication approaches: vehicle-to-vehicle, infrastructure-to-vehicle, and vehicle-to-pedestrian, assessing protocol conformance, communication performance, sensing performance, and service logic triggering mechanisms.

China’s activities on vulnerable road user (VRU) applications include four protection scenarios: roadside infrastructure detection via direct communication; vehicle-based detection via sensor sharing; VRU-equipped V2X device direct communication; and cellular communication via cloud server. China developed national standards GB/T 44286.1-2024 and GB/T 44286.2-2024 specifying collision warning scenarios, and ITU SG21 requirements for VRU service using vehicle gateway. Demonstrations tested pedestrian and electric bicycle protection across Shanghai, Deqing, and Beijing. Key implementation challenges include sensor perception accuracy, direct communication device installation barriers and low penetration, and cloud construction responsibility allocation for cellular communication solutions.

5GAA WG1 thanks WP.29 for the opportunity to provide input to activity WTSA RESOLUTION 104 on vehicular communications standardization. 5GAA notes that use cases classified A to F in Section V should be considered as interlinked sets rather than standalone, as implementation design at manufacturer discretion may cause fluid categorization and varying interpretations. 5GAA recommends adding to Section VI considerations that connected vehicle services depend on end-to-end component availability and ecosystem state assumptions, and that information provision to drivers, rather than communication technology itself, should be regulatory focus. 5GAA supports both PC5 direct communication and Uu cellular network communication technologies provided Service Level Requirements are met.

The agenda includes review of feedback on a survey concerning vehicular communication applications prepared by the secretariat.

The Task Force on Vehicular Communications held its eleventh session virtually on 22nd May 2025. Fifty-seven experts from thirteen Contracting Parties, one International Organisation, and seven Non-Governmental Organisations attended. Survey responses on vehicular communications applications from France, Canada, China (CATARC and CAICT), Japan (JASIC and TTC), IEC, and ITU CITS were presented. The group decided to extend the deadline for survey responses until the end of August 2025 and agreed that a small drafting group led by SAE International would consolidate responses for further development.

Draft text for an overview to support WP.29 deliberations.

A marked-up version of this document is also available.

This document is available in a version with markup.

Document also available with tracked changes.

Note from the WP.29 secretariat.