Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
Please fill in this field to find a procedure

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) 'Revised 1958 Agreement': uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts, and conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals; Revision 3

2015/0249(NLE)

PURPOSE: to conclude Revision 3 of the Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for the reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions ('Revised 1958 Agreement').

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. 

CONTENT: under this proposal, the Council is called upon to approve, on behalf of the Union, Revision 3 of the Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for the reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions.

To recall, the Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for the reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions entered into force in 1995.

WP.29 agreed, at its 150th session in March 2010, to establish an informal group with a view to assisting WP.29 in considering actions on the future direction for the harmonisation of vehicle regulations under the Revised 1958 Agreement. This future direction should aim at:

  • fostering the participation of more countries and regional economic integration organisations in the activities of the World Forum;
  • increasing the number of Contracting Parties to the Revised 1958 Agreement, by improving its functioning and reliability, and thus ensuring that it remains the key international framework for the harmonisation of technical regulations in the automotive sector.

On 15 July 2013, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations within WP.29 for amending the Agreement.

At its 164th session in November 2014 WP.29 took note of a proposal submitted by a number of Contracting Parties to the Agreement to increase the voting majority threshold, for the establishment of new UN Regulations and amendments to existing UN Regulations, from the two-thirds to a four-fifths majority. The representative of the EU announced the intention to establish a coordinated position of the EU Member States on this proposal.

The proposals for Revision 3 of the Agreement and for increasing the voting majority threshold from two-thirds to four-fifths meet the negotiation objectives specified in the Council Decision authorising the Commission to open negotiations within WP.29 for Revision 3 of the Agreement.

Therefore, it is proposed to adopt the proposed amendments to the 1958 Agreement and amend it accordingly.