1998 Agreement Global Technical Regulations

In anticipation of the entry into force of the 1998 Comprehensive Agreement, stakeholders and other governments have also begun to make recommendations on vehicle safety priorities for harmonization measures under the Agreement. At the 120th meeting of WP.29 in March 2000, the United States and other Parties were invited to develop their own recommendations. We have added to the list a document of this communication entitled “Summary of the proposals of the Governments of Japan and the Russian Federation, as well as of various industrial and consumer groups concerning the technical rules to be adopted under the 1998 Comprehensive Agreement”. The documents from which these proposals originate were also included in the indictment of this opinion. WP.29 was established in June 1952 as the “Working Group of Experts on Technical Requirements for Vehicles”, while its current name was adopted in 2000. Anticipating the entry into force of the 1998 United Nations Comprehensive Agreement/Economic Commission for Europe, NHTSA is seeking public advice on its preliminary recommendations on the first technical requirements for motor vehicle safety to be considered for installation under this Convention. For the United States, this would likely mean that the process of implementing the rules will be initiated through the publication of an Advanced Proposal Notice (ANPRM) or a Proposal Rules Notice (NPRM). If the United States were to transpose a comprehensive technical regulation into its domestic law, it would do so in accordance with all applicable procedural and substantive provisions, including the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C 553 et seq., the Vehicle Safety Act, and similar provisions of other relevant laws, such as the Clean Air Act. The Rubber Manufacturers Association and five other tire industry organizations around the world have asked NHTSA to amend the U.S. standard (FMVSS No. 109) to adopt a standard, Global Tire Standard 2000, approved by the tire industry worldwide. The same proposal was submitted to WP.29 for consideration as a comprehensive regulation. .