Brussels approves mandatory FM and DAB+ radio in new connected cars, Italian victory
The EU Commission responds to the notified regulatory proposal by recognising the validity of the Italian rule requiring radio receivers on vehicles
For the radio there is now one more arrow in the bow to prevent it being ejected from the dashboard. Brussels has agreed with Italia in its battle to prevent new connected cars from wiping out Fm and Dab+ receivers. The European Commission has in fact recognised the validity of the Italian regulatory initiative that aims to make the presence of traditional radio systems mandatory in new vehicles.
Behind the dossier lies a much wider game than just the presence of the car radio. On the one hand, there is the automotive industry, increasingly oriented towards simplified infotainment systems that are fully integrated with smartphones and IP services. On the other is the radio world, which sees in that transformation an industrial, cultural and even democratic risk: the gradual disappearance of free and universal broadcast radio.
On 1 October 2025, Italy notified the EU of a proposal to amend Article 98-vs sexies of the Electronic Communications Code. The principle is simple: all equipment installed in new vehicles in categories M and N (passenger and goods transport), if enabled for Internet connection or the reproduction of audio content, must also be suitable for the reception of analogue Fm and digital Dab+ radio. Furthermore, it was stipulated in the notified text that software and firmware updates may not impair or disable radio reception. A far from minor point in the age of cars increasingly governed by software.
The EU responded with requests for further investigation (a substantial thumbs-down). At this point Italy defended the measure before the European Commission arguing that it is not a technological restriction but, on the contrary, a guarantee of pluralism and freedom of access to information. The document sent to Brussels underlines how over 70% of radio listening takes place on the move and how the progressive spread of cars without car radios risks shifting all listening to the internet and proprietary platforms. The fear is that of total dependence on the mobile network, with problems related to connection costs, user profiling, and system resilience in emergency situations.
It is no coincidence that the Italia dossier also mentions the issue of public safety. Broadcast radio is considered a resilient infrastructure in the event of natural disasters, blackouts or crises that could compromise mobile networks. Also mentioned is the Asa system, Automatic Safety Alert, integrated into Dab+, capable of sending geolocalised alerts directly to receivers in cars. Hence the response of the EU, which assessed the Italian reply as 'satisfactory'.
