News
Good morning and welcome to your Unbound Daily Briefing for Saturday 4th July - here are the topics we'll be covering today:
- Phase 3 of EU GSR2 rollout on Monday - what it means for new EU cars
- Irish Presidency of the EU from 1st July
Phase 3 of EU GSR2 rollout on Monday - what it means for new EU cars
Next week, Phase 3 of the EU GSR2 regulations for new cars comes into effect, which includes ADDW (Advanced Driver Distraction Warning)- a system where the car utilises a camera to monitor the driver at all times, tracking eye movement to determine whether or not the driver is paying sufficient attention to the road.
Numerous concerns have been raised over the years with the GSR2 mandatory automated driver assistance tools, with more serious concerns having been raised with such features as the Lane Assist where country lanes in the UK are unintelligible to the system. Thankfully the UK leaving the EU has made these systems optional and not mandatory.
This latest addition, which comes into effect from Tuesday 7th July, will spark concerns for those who are ever-increasingly concerned of the level of surveillance placed upon them, and the potential breaches of privacy that come from having an on-board camera monitoring you at all times. Time will tell if this rollout in the EU is well received with the general public, but from a UK perspective it is in our opinion a benefit of Brexit that such intrusions are optional and not mandatory.
Irish Presidency of the EU from 1st July
The Republic of Ireland has taken up their turn for the six-month rotating presidency of the EU Council, which will run from 1st July to 31st December. Its presidency comes at a time of significant friction between EU member states, as two large issues cause significant strain - the need to agree the budget amount for 2028-2034, and the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and accompanying Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM).
It is interesting to note that whilst EU member states raise serious concerns about the impact and damage caused to industry and economy by the ETS and CBAM, the UK government is negotiating with the EU to link the UK and EU systems.
