Latest version (superceding WP.29/2014/26) of the revision of the 1958 Agreement to enable the deployment of the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval system and to facilitate the global application of the Agreement and its system for the mutual recognition of type approvals. This version proposes solutions to all the remaining open issues except the question of two-thirds voting raised as a measure to address concerns of non-EU governments over the current simple majority procedure.

Presentation on proposed changes to the 1958 Agreement pursuant to the establishment of the international whole vehicle type approval system.

Overview by the Forum secretariat of changes to the guidelines for amendments to UN Regulations to address concerns over multiple/parallel series of amendments being in force at the same time.

Updated compendium of the provisions of the 1958 Agreement, the UN Regulations and amendments adopted under the agreement, and the current list of contact points for testing services and type approval authorities.

Actions and decisions taken during the 9th session of the expert group amending the 1958 Agreement in order to accommodate the proposed international whole vehicle type approval system.

Proposal to define procedures for resolving differences in cases where a Contracting Party determines that a product approved by another Contracting Party does not conform with the requirements of the regulation under which it was approved.

The International Whole Vehicle Type Approval system under development would allow for a limited recognition approval to earlier versions of UN Regulations. Since this limited IWVTA requires Contracting Parties to declare to which version of each regulation they adhere, this proposal would amend the “Status of the 1958 Agreement” (document WP.29/343) to include this information as part of the regular process of reporting on the status of UN Regulations.

Final proposed text to revise and update the 1958 Agreement pursuant to the project to establish an international whole vehicle type approval system.

Memorandum from the secretariat reporting on WP.29 subsidiary working party responses to the proposal for a common date of entry-into-force for new series of amendments to existing regulations. The Working Parties on Lighting and Light-signalling Equipment, General Safety, Passive Safety, and Pollution and Energy had no objections to setting a uniform annual date of September 1.

Set of explanations and requests for WP.29 approval of a questionnaire to solicit contracting party input on regulations to include in the whole vehicle type approval and handling of replacement parts under certain conditions, amendment of the 1958 Agreement status report to communicate whether contracting parties accept only ‘universal’ or accept ‘limited’ whole vehicle type approvals, to set English as the documentation language, and for comments on the proposed Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement.

Summary of items from the 11th meeting of the working group on revising the 1958 Agreement, especially with regard to the introduction of the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval System, use of the Data Exchange for Type-Approval information, and changes aimed at improving accessibility to the agreement worldwide.

Proposal for revised guidelines and procedures for UN Regulations pursuant to the development of the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval system, including a procedure for exemptions of new technologies from current UN Regulation requirements and the procedure for updating the IWVTA regulation (proposed UN R0).

Addition of an article to the agreement stating its preparation in English, French, and Russian with all three languages carrying the same legal power.

Proposed changes to the article concerning the procedure for amendments to UN Regulations.

Draft proposals prepared by the WP.29 Secretariat to address concerns raised over certain amendments to regulations. Given the plans to revise the 1958 Agreement pursuant to the international whole vehicle type approval project, these proposals are presented for consideration as part of the revision of the Agreement.

Proposal to amend the draft agreement to address situations where a Contracting Party disagrees with an adopted amendment and ceases to apply a given UN Regulation. The proposal seeks to clarify that the Contracting Party would still be obligated to accept type approvals based on the previous versions of the regulation (i.e., approvals based on versions of the regulation that the CP had been accepting before the amendment) for one year following its notification to cease application of the regulation.

Russian notification of its opposition to the draft Article 9 provisions that would enable voting by proxy under the 1958 Agreement and proposal to delete Article 9 in its entirety. Russia also supports a change in the voting procedure to require a 4/5ths majority to adopt a given motion.

Proposal to raise the voting threshold required under the 1958 Agreement to approve a given text (e.g., new UN Regulation or amendment of an existing regulation) from the present two-thirds majority (achievable by the EU vote alone) to a four-fifths majority.

Explanation of a “first set” of guidelines prepared by the WP.29 secretariat concerning the submission and adoption of modifications to UN Regulations, especially taking into consideration the pending Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement which envisions, among other things, the acceptance to multiple “versions” of each regulation. This document covers: amendments resulting from draft Revision 3; publication of new series of amendments; long transitional provisions; versions of UN Regulations; use of cross-references; amendment commencement dates; consolidation of amendments to once per year; and use of “compilations” of modifications.

Excerpt concerning the activities of WP.29 from the UNECE report on its efforts to support the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety.

Proposal to clarify the mutual recognition requirement of the draft revision of the 1958 Agreement. OICA views the clause that subjects the mutual recognition requirement to “any special provisions” contained within a given UN Regulation as potentially detrimental to the basic principles of uniformity and mutual recognition. The phrase was deemed necessary because such special provisions do exist; however, OICA proposes to revise the phrase ostensibly to avoid creating the impression that the use of such “special provisions” is routine (rather than exceptional) under the Agreement.

EC note welcoming the 4/5ths majority proposal by Australia, Japan, Malaysia and the Russian Federation as providing a good basis for EU internal discussions to determine an EU position on the voting threshold issue.