Car industry: global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts. Parallel Agreement UN/ECE

PURPOSE : to conclude the Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for the wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or used on wheeled vehicles ("Parallel Agreement"). COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Decision 2000/125/EC concerning the conclusion of the Agreement concerning the estabishing 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 Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or used on wheeled vehicles is now referred to the "Parallel Agreement". The Parallel Agreement operates in the framework of the UN/ECE and concerns the establishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles. It has the same scope as the 1958 Agreement as regards the subject to be regulated and should operate in parallel. The Agreement creates a mechanism to establish global technical regualtions in a global registry by consensus vote of contracting parties present and voting. The purpose is to develop regulations that achieve high levels of safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency, and anti-theft performance. In addition, the Community position with regard to the listing and reaffirmation of listing in the compendium of candidate technical regulations as well as with regard to issue resolution between Contracting Parties shall be established as appropriate in accoordance with the procedure laid down in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC. Furthermore, the Community shall vote in favour of establishing of any draft global technical regulation or draft amendment to such a regulation if the Community's vote in favour of the parallel draft regulation has been decided upon either of the procedures laid down in Article 4(2) of Council Decision 97/836/EC. Also, if global technical regulation or an amendment to such a regulation is not established in parallel with a regulation under the 1958 Agreement, where the draft has been approved in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 13 of Directive 70/156/EEC. The Community shall vote in favour of a proposed amendment to the Parallel Agreement where the proposed amendment has been approved in accordance with the procedure followed in order to approve that Agreement. Where that procedure has not been completed in time before the vote takes place the Commission will vote against the amendment on behalf of the Community. This Agreement and its Annexes, which constitute integral parts of the Agreement, shall enter into force on the 30th day following the date on which a minimum of 5 countries and/or regional economic integration organisations have become Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 9. This minimum of 5 must include the European Community, Japan, and the United States of America. For any country or regional economic integration organisation that becomes a Contracting Party to the Agreement after its entry into force, this Agreement shall enter into force 60 days after the date that such country orregional economic integration organisation deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.�