JAGUAR and Land Rover have demonstrated driverless vehicles in Amsterdam where EU transport ministers met to give the green light to autonomous vehicle trials across Europe.

The vehicles were shown to officials from all 28 EU member states who gave the go-ahead for the creation of an automated vehicle network throughout the Continent by 2019.

The models included a Range Rover Sport fitted with hands free technology which keeps the vehicle in its lane and allows it to overtake automatically when the driver indicates while another Range Rover Sport showed a system which enables it to be driven by remote control.

Both vehicles will be part of a fleet on autonomous models which JLR will start testing in Britain later this year.

The so-called Declaration of Amsterdam signed by the EU transport ministers paves the way for the creation of a high-tech infrastructure to improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion.

Dr Wolfgang Epple, JLR's director of research and technology, said: "We are all working on exciting autonomous driving technologies.

"To successfully deliver these technologies industry needs a common approach between car makers, mobile telecom providers and providers of roadside infrastructure systems.

"This will allow standardisation and harmonisation, enabling cars to communicate with each other and the roadside infrastructure around them efficiently and effectively. It allows Jaguar Land Rover to deliver technologies that are relevant, accessible and affordable to customers."

In the UK trials of autonomous vehicles have already been approved in Greenwich, Milton Keynes, Coventry and Bristol and the Government has announced plans to start lorry ‘platooning' tests - where trucks automatically follow each other in convoy - next year.

Jaguar and Land Rover are among a growing number of car manufacturers who are developing an array of systems which will enable vehicles to communicate with each other and to allow the driver to go ‘hands free' under certain conditions.

The JLR demonstration staged over a 10 mile run in Amsterdam showed EU ministers the importance of standardisation between all vehicles and the need for a common roadside infrastructure.