. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/USA/183 
3 April 2006 
 (06-1522) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Environmental Protection Agency  (EPA)  (189) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Motor vehicles and 
engines (HS:  Chapter 8703 ) (ICS:  43). 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Control of Air 
Pollution from New Motor Vehicles: Amendments  to the Tier 2 Motor Vehicle Emission 
Regulations; Proposed Rule (4 pages, English). 
6. Description of content:   EPA is proposing to make minor amendments to the existing Tier 
2 motor vehicle regulations (65 FR 6698, 10 Fe bruary 2000, hereinafter referred to as the 
Tier 2 rule). These proposed minor amendments ar e consistent with our intention, under the 
original Tier 2 rule, to provide interim compliance flexibilities fo r clean diesels in the 
passenger car market. While the automotive indus try has made rapid advancements in light-
duty diesel emissions control technologies and will, as a result, be able to produce diesel vehicles that can comply with the primary re gulatory requirements of the Tier 2 program, 
diesel vehicles still face some very limited technological challenges in meeting the full suite 
of Tier 2 requirements. This action would provide two voluntary,  interim alternative 
compliance options for a very limited set of  standards for oxides of nitrogen (NOX), 
including only high altitude and high speed/h igh acceleration conditions. These temporary 
alternative compliance options are designed to be environmentally neutral, as manufacturers choosing them would then be required to meet  more stringent standards in other aspects of 
the Tier 2 program. The alternative complian ce options would last for only three model 
years, during which time advancements in di esel emissions control technologies would be 
further developed.  In the "Rules and Regulati ons" section of this Federal Register, we are 
making these technical amendments as a direct fi nal rule without prior proposal because we 
view these technical amendments as non-contr oversial revisions and anticipate no adverse 
comment. We have explained our  reasons for these technical amendments in the preamble 
to the direct final rule. If we receive no adverse comment, we would not take further action 
on this proposed rule. If we receive adverse comment, we would withdraw the portions of 
the direct final rule receiving such comment and those portions would not take effect. We would address all public comments in a subsequent  final rule based on this proposed rule. 
We would not institute a second comment period on this action. Any parties interested in 
commenting must do so at this time. G/TBT/N/USA/183 
Page 2  
 
  The associated “direct final rule” full text is  available online at URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-
2979.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/
06-2979.pdf 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:    
Protection of the environment 
8. Relevant documents:   71 Federal Register (FR) 16087,  30 March 2006; Title 40 Code of 
Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 86. Will app ear in the Federal Register when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be determined 
10. Final date for comments:   1 May 2006 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Full Texts are Now Available on the Internet at URLs: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/06-
2980.htm 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/24 22/01jan20061800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2006/pdf/
06-2980.pdf