Tesla Inc. (TSLA) is trying to bring its Full Self-Driving technology to Europe, and now we're getting some clarity on what that process actually looks like. The Netherlands Vehicle Authority, known as RDW, issued an official statement Monday laying out where things stand.

February 2026: Circle That Date

According to RDW, Tesla has a schedule mapped out that should culminate in a February 2026 demonstration proving that FSD Supervised meets European safety standards. That's the target, anyway. Whether Tesla actually hits that timeline remains to be seen, though RDW says both sides are working together to make it happen.

"For the RDW, (road) safety is paramount," the regulator emphasized in its statement.

The authority also made it clear they won't be sharing details about Tesla's application or similar requests from other manufacturers, citing commercially sensitive information. They even asked people to stop contacting them about Tesla's FSD application, noting it wastes customer service resources and won't influence the outcome anyway.

How European Approval Actually Works

RDW provided a helpful explainer on the approval process for new technologies without existing regulations. When a manufacturer submits an application for something novel, a member state must file a request with the European Commission on the manufacturer's behalf.

Here's where it gets interesting: approval requires majority support from EU member states. If that happens, exemptions get issued allowing the technology across the bloc. But if a majority can't agree, the exemption only applies to the country that submitted the application, and other states can evaluate it independently.

Before any approval comes through, manufacturers must prove their technology complies with regulations and pass comprehensive testing with a type approval authority.

Worth noting: FSD isn't exactly sailing through regulatory review everywhere. The NHTSA launched an investigation into 2.88 million Tesla vehicles in the United States after reviewing incidents involving traffic violations and accidents with cars using FSD or Autopilot systems.

Musk Says Nobody Wanted FSD Licensing

The RDW statement comes as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been making waves with claims about offering FSD technology to traditional automakers through licensing deals. According to Musk, there were no takers.

He compared legacy automakers to dinosaurs, suggesting they risk getting left behind in the autonomous driving race. Meanwhile, an analyst from Melius Research argued that Tesla maintains a competitive lead through its FSD technology.

The Final Puzzle Piece?

Musk has been hyping the upcoming FSD v14.3 update as the final puzzle piece for Tesla's self-driving ambitions. The language suggests he believes Tesla could achieve unsupervised autonomous driving after this update rolls out.

Ross Gerber, co-founder of Gerber Kawasaki, recently praised the improvements in FSD v14, calling it a significant upgrade from earlier versions based on his experience using the system in his Cybertruck.

Price Action: TSLA climbed 6.82% to $417.78 at market close, then added another 0.24% to $418.78 in after-hours trading, according to market data.