PURPOSE: the proposal for a decision concerns the approval by the European Community of the Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles (‘Parallel Agreement’). CONTENT: the technical regulations applying in the automotive sector are currently harmonised internationally under the 1958 UN/ECE Revised Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, their equipment and parts and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions. The Parallel Agreement, which operates in the framework of the UN/ECE, concerns the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles and the equipment and parts which can be fitted or used on wheeled vehicles. It has the same scope as the 1958 Agreement as regards the issues to be regulated and it will operate in parallel. The Agreement creates a mechanism to establish global technical regulations of this type in a global registry by consensus vote of contracting parties present and voting. The aim is to develop regulations that achieve high levels of safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and anti-theft performance. The Agreement also creates a framework allowing national and regional regulations to be listed in a compendium of candidate technical regulations after an affirmative vote by one-third of the contracting parties. These candidate regulations will be used to prepare harmonised global technical regulations. The Commission proposes the approval by the Community of this Agreement which will enter into force on 26/10/1999 if eight countries or regional economic integration organisations, which must include the USA , Japan or the Community, have become contracting parties by then. After this date, the parties may start to establish global technical regulations. It is therefore essential that the Community approves the Parallel Agreement before this enters into force.

PURPOSE: the proposal for a decision concerns the approval by the European Community of the Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles (‘Parallel Agreement’). CONTENT: the technical regulations applying in the automotive sector are currently harmonised internationally under the 1958 UN/ECE Revised Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, their equipment and parts and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions. The Parallel Agreement, which operates in the framework of the UN/ECE, concerns the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles and the equipment and parts which can be fitted or used on wheeled vehicles. It has the same scope as the 1958 Agreement as regards the issues to be regulated and it will operate in parallel. The Agreement creates a mechanism to establish global technical regulations of this type in a global registry by consensus vote of contracting parties present and voting. The aim is to develop regulations that achieve high levels of safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and anti-theft performance. The Agreement also creates a framework allowing national and regional regulations to be listed in a compendium of candidate technical regulations after an affirmative vote by one-third of the contracting parties. These candidate regulations will be used to prepare harmonised global technical regulations. The Commission proposes the approval by the Community of this Agreement which will enter into force on 26/10/1999 if eight countries or regional economic integration organisations, which must include the USA , Japan or the Community, have become contracting parties by then. After this date, the parties may start to establish global technical regulations. It is therefore essential that the Community approves the Parallel Agreement before this enters into force.