Car industry: type-approval of vehicles with regard to the protection of the occupants in the event of a collision, UN/ECE Regulations 94 and 95

PURPOSE : to enable the Community to adhere to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation No. 94 on provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the protection of the occupants in the event of a frontal collision and Regulation No. 95 on provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the protection of the occupants in the event of a lateral collision.

PROPOSED ACT : Council Decision.

CONTENT : following Council Decision 97/836/EC, the EC became a contracting party to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's (UN/ECE's) Revised 1958 Agreement on 24 March 1998 and acceded to 78 regulations appended to that Agreement. That Decision took effect on 24 March 1998.  UN/ECE Regulation No. 94 on provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the protection of the occupants in the event of a frontal collision and UN/ECE Regulation No. 95 on provisions concerning the approval of vehicles with regard to the protection of the occupants in the event of a lateral collision are aimed, in particular, at removing technical barriers to the trade in motor vehicles between the contracting parties while ensuring a high level of safety for vehicle occupants.

Those Regulations were not included in the list of regulations recognised by the EC that is contained in Annex II to Decision 97/836/EC, as they differed to a substantial degree from the requirements of the EC at the time of the EC’s becoming a contracting party to the UN/ECE Agreement. There seems to be consensus among the Member States which states that it would now be desirable for the EC to accede thereto. It is also provided that the Regulations concerned shall be incorporated into the approval system for motor vehicles.