On April 29, 2021, the “Third International Forum” on the topic “Automated Driving and its Legal Framework” was held at the Renmin University of China Law School in Peking. The Forum was organized by the Institute of Law and Technology of the Renmin University, the “Robot Law” Research Centre at the University of Würzburg, and the Sino-German Legal Cooperation Programme of GIZ. Taking part were Chinese and German public officials, scientists from the Chinese Ministry of Justice, the Ministry for Public Security, the Ministry for Industry and Information, the Office for the Economy and Information of the City of Beijing, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the City of Shenzhen, the German Federal Ministry for Transport and Digital Infrastructure, and scientists from universities, research institutes, and law firms, as well as from Robert Bosch GmbH and Audi AG.
The forum addressed the current development and analysis of legislation in the area of automated driving in Germany and China. Theodora Hamsen from the German Federal Ministry for Transport and Digital Infrastructure gave a presentation on the current proposed legislation in Germany on automated driving titled “Outline of a Law to Amend the Road Traffic Act and Compulsory Insurance Act”. Prof. Eric Hilgendorf form the University of Würzburg gave a talk that examined this proposed legislation and considered the current Chinese legislative plans on automated driving from a German point of view.
Other presentations covered the proposed amendments to the Chinese Road Safety Act in relation to automated driving, legal liability regarding road accidents caused by automated driving, the development of the Pilot Project Zone of the City of Peking for smart and networked cars, the legislation of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone on smart and networked automobiles, and the current Chinese and German proposed legislation on automated driving from a Chinese perspective. In the commentaries and panel discussions that followed, the representatives of the Ministries, the automotive industries, and the law firms addressed the talks and the legal regulation of automated driving. The participants agreed that the Forum provided a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas during the Coronavirus pandemic and gave impulses and food for thought on the legal development of automated driving in China and Germany at crucial time for the planned legislation in both countries.