Skip to content

HomeExplore regulation › Approval and operation

Explanation · EU and national law

EU approval and national conditions for operation

What EU approval establishes and which operational questions remain subject to national assessment.

Starting point: a planned regular service

This is a general model of the relationship between approval and operation, not an available Slovak authorisation procedure. The planned regular service is a hypothetical project, not a claim that Slovak law permits it. The Slovak framework below is a separate example with its own limitations.

Assume that documents exist for both vehicle and ADS. It remains necessary to explain whether they cover the intended allocation of tasks and whether this service may operate on the particular route.

Cited provisions checked: .

The questions and explanations below reuse ROAT’s authorial interpretation from the approval-and-operation article. Legal sources are identified separately; the new navigation does not change their review date.

01 What EU approval establishes

Does approval cover the delivered configuration and active feature?

Compare the identification of the vehicle, system and software. The marketing description “autonomous” does not explain the documents’ scope.

Legal basis

What do the different documents establish? →

02 Identify the country, route and purpose

Record the country and route segments, the purpose of the journeys and the planned transport service. For a cross-border route, also assess the conditions in the second country.

Does the ODD cover the route and the conditions of each journey?

In the example, darkness, weather, roadworks or changed stops may matter. Checking a single daytime journey does not answer those questions.

Legal basis

  • Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426

    Consolidation of 24 March 2026: Article 1; Article 2(16), (24) and (25); Annex I, point 17.10; Annex II, point 1.3; Annex IV, Addendum, point 8, Addendum 2.

Understand conditions of use and ODD →

03 Check human roles and the legal basis for operation

Who helps passengers and who can actually take over driving?

Passenger support, operator intervention and driving must be assessed by reference to the activities performed. One person may have several roles, but each requires its own legal explanation.

Legal basis

Which rules allow this operation and the provision of the service?

Identify the persons subject to duties and the powers of the competent authorities. Article 34 bis and an ADS certificate do not themselves resolve all those questions.

Legal basis

Slovakia: framework and limitations →

How should an authority’s powers and an additional requirement be justified? →

Slovak framework and open conditions

AV — automated vehicle · FAV — fully automated vehicle

The Slovak row in Second Gate describes the law as of 31 August 2026. The model snapshot is dated 7 September 2026. The guide adds a targeted review of § 49, § 52, Act No. 131/2026 and the status of bill 1329; it is not a new complete snapshot of the legal system.

  1. Road operation and transport service

    The ROAT comparison model as of 31 August 2026 identifies no general Slovak commercial FAV deployment gate. It identifies testing and a specific delivery vehicle regime. Article IX of Act No. 131/2026 amends § 49; it does not itself introduce the proposed operator licence and operational approval in parliamentary bill 1329.

    Second Gate model, Slovak row as of 31 August 2026; amendment Article IX

  2. Roles, liability and subsequent changes

    For a specific project, identify the operator and human roles. Under section 2(2)(x) of Act No. 8/2009 Coll., a person supervising an ADS vehicle is also a driver. Section 5(6) requires them to monitor traffic and take over driving safely and in time upon an ADS request or, where circumstances require, without a request, remotely where applicable. Remote assistance alone does not establish the ability to fulfil this duty. Assess insurance, data and operating changes separately. Distinguish the oversight operator proposed in the bill (print 1329) from these rules in force.

    Act No. 8/2009 Coll., sections 2(2)(x) and 5(6) (checked 13 September 2026); print 1329 – proposed rules

The result is a list of legal issues and open conditions for a specific operation. This overview does not itself establish authorisation to deploy a vehicle.

Sources for the Slovak framework

Act No. 8/2009 Coll. on Road Traffic

For delivery vehicles, check particularly § 2, § 5(6), § 6(7) and § 55b. A complete update of this layer after the amendment is outside the guide’s review.

Official source ↗ · Record ROAT-2026-0155

Parliamentary bill 1329

Proposed legislation. When checked on 7 September 2026, the National Council’s page showed committee consideration; this is not a general deployment regime in force.

Official source ↗ · Record ROAT-2026-0159

Open the original research snapshot

04 Prepare materials for legal assessment

A recommended approach to a project’s legal assessment: record these four elements for each proposed obligation. This is an authorial proposal for structuring the argument.

Legal basis
Which provision imposes or enables the requirement?
Competent authority
Who may decide, and under which procedure?
Subject of assessment
Which particular characteristic, activity or circumstance is examined?
Relationship to approval
What is already established, and why does a further question remain relevant?

Attach the vehicle and ADS identification, approval documents and annexes, a description of the route and service, and the allocation of roles. Record what the documents establish and which questions remain unanswered.

Check the sources and scope of review ↓

Legal sources and scope of review

For Regulation 2018/858, the cited provisions were checked in the official text alongside their amendment history. For Regulation 2022/1426, the consolidation of 24 March 2026 is used. Consolidations assist navigation; legally authentic texts are available through the relevant official source. The Slovak explanation of the Convention and the English explanations of Slovak legislation are original renderings. Reference to Annex IV, Addendum 2 clarified on 13 September 2026.

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/1426

Consolidation of 24 March 2026: Article 1; Article 2(16), (24) and (25); Annex I, point 17.10; Annex II, point 1.3; Annex IV, Addendum, point 8, Addendum 2.

Open the official source ↗

Recitals to Regulation (EU) 2022/1426

Recitals 2 and 7. A recital explains context; it does not independently confer powers on a national authority.

Open the official source ↗

Vienna Convention: amendment text containing Article 34 bis

Article 34 bis(a), (b) and final sentence; text in CP 540, p. 3. Acceptance is confirmed by source 5.

Open the official source ↗

Depositary notification C.N.26.2022.TREATIES-XI.B.19

Acceptance of the amendments and entry into force on 14 July 2022.

Open the official source ↗

EUR-Lex: amendment history of Regulation (EU) 2018/858

Check of amendments to the cited provisions; EUR-Lex identifies 2 August 2026 as the current consolidation date.

Open the official source ↗

Outcome of this overview

You can distinguish the effects of EU approval from national conditions for operation and identify the remaining open questions. The outcome is not confirmation of authorisation to operate the vehicle.

Next step: Prepare materials for legal assessment →