Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2025) 2679
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2025/0550/IT
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20252679.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2025 0550 IT EN 01-10-2025 IT NOTIF
2. Italy
3A. Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy
Dipartimento Mercato e Tutela
Direzione Generale Consumatori e Mercato
Divisione II. Normativa tecnica - Sicurezza e conformità dei prodotti, qualità prodotti e servizi
00187 Roma - Via Molise, 2
3B. Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy
Ufficio Legislativo
4. 2025/0550/IT - V10T - Radio interfaces
5. Amendment to Article 98-vicies sexies of the Electronic Communications Code, referred to in Legislative Decree 259 of 2003, concerning 'Interoperability of car radio receivers, consumer radio receivers and equipment [...]
6. TELECOMMUNICATIONS
7.
8. The provision in the notified draft amends the Electronic Communications Code, specifically providing for the amendment of Article 98-vicies sexies of Legislative Decree 259 of 2003. This stipulation applies to all devices enabled for internet connection and/or equipped with hardware capable of reproducing audio content installed in new vehicles of categories M and N. Motor vehicles authorized to transport people and goods, as well as new quadricycles in categories L6 and L7 (quadricycles classified according to weight and power) that are made available on the market for sale or lease must also be capable of receiving radio broadcasts. This enables users to receive and reproduce radio services provided through analogue and digital terrestrial DAB+ broadcasting.
This provision therefore imposes the obligation to equip certain categories of vehicles and/or quadricycles with devices capable of connecting to the internet and suitable for reproducing radio services broadcast on analogue and digital terrestrial frequencies.
9. The regulation is intended to ensure that radio services broadcast on analogue and digital terrestrial frequencies are accessible to all users, regardless of the type of vehicle they are using. It is important to note that, in many cases, it is impossible to meet this requirement. This is due to the fact that various types of vehicles are not equipped with devices capable of receiving radio programs broadcast on analogue or digital terrestrial frequencies.
According to the current legislation outlined in Article 98 vicies sexies of Legislative Decree No. 259/2003, which implements Article 113 of the EU Directive 2018/1972, consumer car radio receivers made available on the market individually or as part of a new vehicle of categories M and N, when made available for sale or lease, must include a receiver capable of receiving and reproducing at least the radio services provided through digital terrestrial broadcasting. Therefore, the obligation to receive and reproduce DAB radio broadcasting is limited to new vehicles that are already equipped with a car radio receiver (FM). Consequently, vehicles in which the traditional car radio is absent do not formally fall within the scope of the standard and, therefore, are not subject to the obligation to install a DAB+ receiver.
According to data released by AGCOM, there has been significant growth in the range of programs available in DAB+ technology in Italy. Currently, there are 50 national channels available via DAB+, which is more than double the number of channels available via analogue (FM). The public radio service concessionaire also highlighted the value of its digital technology editorial offering, consisting of 12 national programmes, four of which are generalist and eight specialised.
Given the data cited above, which highlights strong interest in digital radio among both listeners and content providers, the growth in DAB+ listening has been slowed down for some time by the crisis in the automotive market and the latest technological developments in this sector. These developments risk limiting the digital radio sector in its most decisive lever for demand development, namely listening in cars.
The car is, in fact, a highly competitive environment for infotainment, where not only content owners, radio broadcasters, aggregators and streaming platforms compete, but also different transmission technologies, such as FM, DAB+ and IP.
While hybrid car audio systems remain prevalent, it has been reported that some recent car models, even from well-known manufacturers, do not include a car radio system as standard. Instead, they offer an infotainment system integrated into the vehicle, connected via Bluetooth to a smartphone. This smartphone uses a broadband connection for radio reception via IP protocol.
In order to promote the development of the digital broadcasting market while respecting the principle of technological neutrality, operators in the sector have highlighted the need to strengthen the current legislation by extending the obligation to equip digital radio receivers to all vehicles equipped with audio content reception devices. This would include infotainment systems for modern cars connected by broadband.
It is also crucial to emphasize that the car radio is the only device capable of ensuring the continuity of information services, including from the perspectives of road safety and emergency management. This is essential for facilitating access to the frequencies with which users are familiar, which has significant implications for the proper functioning of the internal market.
Finally, it should be noted that the regulatory intervention meets the principle of proportionality because it does not entail excessive burdens [...]
10. References to basic texts: No basic text(s) available
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. No
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
**********
European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
