Spain has approved a new royal decree on Intelligent Transport Systems, a move that updates the national framework in line with EU Directive 2023/2661. For Catalonia, the change matters because it supports the connected mobility tools and data systems used across the region and the rest of Spain.
The government says the new rules respond to digitalisation, sustainability and smart mobility goals set out in the European Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy and Spain’s 2030 Road Safety Strategy. They are also meant to improve the exchange of traffic and transport data between administrations, operators and infrastructure managers.
A key part of the decree is the stronger role of National Access Points, which are meant to keep ITS services interoperable across the EU. Spain has three main nodes, the National Access Point for Traffic and Mobility, managed by the DGT since 2021, the National Access Point for Multimodal Transport, and the National Access Point for Safe Parking Areas for heavy vehicles, both managed by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility.
The traffic and mobility node centralises data on traffic, network status, roadworks, restrictions, closures, obstacles and special events. The European Commission considers these nodes essential for reliable services, international transport and coordinated emergency management. For background on the DGT, see the official DGT website.
The decree also makes it mandatory to communicate restrictions, roadworks, incidents and closures affecting circulation electronically. Officials say this will support connected systems such as DGT 3.0, the connected V16 beacon, connected cones and connected tow trucks, with real-time alerts aimed at improving traffic management and road safety.
The rules also set out data protection and accessibility principles. Personal data may only be processed when needed to provide ITS services, in line with European and national law, and the framework is meant to support universal access, equal access and transparency for users with different levels of digital ability. Readers can follow more Catalonia-wide transport coverage on our news tag page.