Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2001 / Notices 4893

1The covered equipment and parts inside, but are

not limited to, exhaust systems, tires, engines,

acoustic shields, anti-theft alarms, warning devices

and child restraint systems.

All documents in the public docket are

also available for inspection and

copying on the internet at the docket

facility’s Web site at http://dms.dot.gov.

Issued in Washington, DC, on January 11,

2001.

Grady C. Cothen, Jr.,

Deputy Associate Administrator for Safety

Standards and Program Development.

[FR Doc. 01–1554 Filed 1–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–06–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–00–7638; Notice 2]

Recommendations for Establishing

Global Technical Regulations Under

the United Nations/Economic

Commission for Europe 1998 Global

Agreement; Motor Vehicle Safety

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration (NHTSA),

Department of Transportation.

ACTION: NHTSA’s recommendations to

WP.29 for regulations to be considered

under the 1998 Global Agreement.

SUMMARY: In July 2000, NHTSA

published a notice seeking comments on

its preliminary recommendations for the

first motor vehicle safety technical

regulations to be considered for

establishment under the United Nations

Economic Commission for Europe 1998

Global Agreement. NHTSA has

reviewed and considered all public

comments submitted in response to the

notice and has prepared final

recommendations to present to the

World Forum for the Harmonization of

Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) at the

March 2001 meeting in Geneva. NHTSA

will use the recommendations in

deliberating with other Contracting

Parties concerning the adoption of a

program of work under the 1998 Global

Agreement.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For

technical and policy issues: Ms. Julie

Abraham, Director, Office of

International Policy and Harmonization,

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration, 400 Seventh Street, SW,

Washington, DC 20590. Telephone:

(202) 366–2114. Fax: (202) 366–2559.

For legal issues: Nancy Bell, Attorney

Advisor, Office of the Chief Counsel,

NCC–20, National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration, 400 Seventh

Street, SW, Washington, DC 20590.

Telephone: (202) 366–2992. Fax: (202)

366–3820.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: You may

read the materials placed in Docket No.

NHTSA–00–7638 (e.g., the comments

submitted in response to the request for

comments by other interested persons)

by visiting the address: Docket

Management, Room PL–401, 400

Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC,

20590. The hours of the Docket

Management System (DMS) are

indicated above in the same location.

Alternatively, you may read the

materials electronically on the Internet.

To do so, take the following steps:

(1) Go to the Web page of the

Department of Transportation DMS

(http://dms.dot.gov/).

(2) On that page, click on ‘‘search’’

near the top of the page or scroll down

to the words ‘‘Search the DMS Web’’

and click on them.

(3) On the next page (http://

dms.dot.gov/search/), scroll down to

‘‘Docket Number’’ and type in the fourdigit docket number (7638) shown in

the title at the beginning of this notice.

After typing the docket number, click on

‘‘search.’’

(4) On the next page (‘‘Docket

Summary Information’’), which contains

docket summary information for the

materials in the docket you selected,

scroll down to ‘‘search results’’ and

click on the desired materials. You may

download the materials.

Table of Contents

I. Background

II. NHTSA’s Final Recommendations to

WP.29

A. Consideration of Comments

B. Recommended Priorities

III. Future Actions

I. Background

The U.S. became a signatory to the

United Nations/Economic Commission

for Europe (UN/ECE) Agreement

Concerning the Establishment of Global

and Technical Regulations for Wheeled

Vehicles, Equipment and Parts Which

Can Be Fitted And/or Be Used On

Wheeled Vehicles (the ‘‘1998 Global

Agreement’’) in June 1998. The 1998

Global Agreement, which entered into

force on August 25, 2000, provides for

the establishment of global technical

regulations regarding the safety,

emissions, energy conservation and

theft prevention of wheeled vehicles,

equipment and parts.1 The Agreement

contains procedures for establishing

global technical regulations by either

harmonizing existing regulations or

developing a new regulation.

On July 18, 2000, in anticipation of

the entry into force of the 1998 Global

Agreement, NHTSA published a notice

to obtain public comments on a list of

preliminary recommendations of

standards or aspects of standards for

consideration by Contracting Parties in

prioritizing the development and

establishment of global technical

regulations under the 1998 Global

Agreement. (65 Fed. Reg. 44565) In that

notice, NHTSA placed its

recommendations into two categories

based on available information and

analysis concerning the relative level of

stringency and benefits of U.S. and

foreign standards. The first category, the

‘‘Priority Recommendations,’’ included

some foreign standards or aspects of

those standards that may represent best

safety practices among existing national

and regional regulations and that may

lead to the improvement of vehicle

safety in the U.S. NHTSA stated that, in

allocating agency resources among the

priority recommendation, it will give

priority to the recommendations in this

category. The second category, the

‘‘Other Recommendations,’’ included

U.S. standards or aspects of standards

that may represent best current safety

practices and that may lead to

improvement of vehicle safety

worldwide. NHTSA believes that the

standards in this category should obtain

international review and feedback and

be considered in the establishment of

global technical regulations under the

1998 Global Agreement.

In addition to the above mentioned

categories, the notice also noted the

suggestions that had been received by

the United Nations’ Economic

Commission for Europe World Forum

for Development of Global Technical

Regulations (WP.29) from the

governments of Japan and the Russian

Federation and various industry and

consumer groups. These suggestions are

posted in the NHTSA docket (NHTSA–

00–7638).

In response to NHTSA’s request for

suggestions for changes to its

preliminary recommendations, the

agency received comments from

Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety,

the Alliance of Automobile

Manufacturers, Flat Glass Manufacturers

Association of Japan, Honda, the

International Organization of Motor

Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA), the

Rubber Manufacturers Association, and

Toyota.

II. NHTSA’s Final Recommendations to

WP.29

A. Consideration of Comments

NHTSA has reviewed the comments

submitted in response to the July 2000

notice. In addition, NHTSA has

4894 Federal Register / Vol. 66, No. 12 / Thursday, January 18, 2001 / Notices

reviewed the suggestions that had been

submitted by the governments of Japan

and the Russian Federation and various

industry and consumer groups to

WP.29. These suggestions have been

placed in the docket for the request for

comments (NHTSA–00–7638).

The majority of those who

commented on NHTSA’s approach to

priority setting indicated that they

support NHTSA’s approach in

principle, but believe that modifications

are needed. The reasons for these

modifications included: (1) The need to

continue work on standards for which

resources already have been expended

and considerable progress has been

made; (2) the need to select regulations

that are easier to harmonize from both

the technical and the political points of

view; (3) the need to include regulations

that have been harmonized between

Europe and Japan (under the 1958

Agreement); (4) cost-savings to industry

and consumers; (5) the list of specific

standards under each category is not

comprehensive or includes subjects that

ought to be removed because of the lack

of a clear association with the category;

and (6) harmonizing specific aspects of

standards is not sufficient.

In response to the comments, NHTSA

wishes to clarify its approach to priority

setting. NHTSA’s statutory mission, and

thus the focus of its rulemaking

activities, is improving vehicle safety.

Accordingly, NHTSA must continue to

focus its resources on those standards

that improve motor vehicle safety in the

U.S.

However, the agency also devotes

considerable effort to refining and

updating its standards to permit

technological innovation, avoid

imposing unnecessary regulatory

burdens, and improve regulatory

effectiveness. Accordingly, NHTSA

recognizes the merit in including other

standards in the work of WP.29. NHTSA

agrees that consideration should be

given to including some standards based

on the fact that harmonization work is

already underway and progress has been

made on them. NHTSA itself has

already spent considerable resources on

some of these standards. With the

expenditure of limited additional

resources, NHTSA can work with other

contracting parties toward their

establishment as global technical

regulations. NHTSA will also continue

to collaborate with other contracting

parties to the 1998 Global Agreement on

standards of importance to those

contracting parties. In addition, NHTSA

agrees with including some standards

on the basis that it may be easy to

harmonize them. NHTSA believes that

working on those standards will help

the U.S. and other contracting parties

gain experience with the process of the

1998 Global Agreement.

B. Recommended Priorities

NHTSA’s recommended priorities are

largely unchanged. However, NHTSA

has decided to reorganize its

recommendations according to the

subject matter responsibilities of the

WP.29 Working Parties of Experts to

examine their potential impact on the

workload for each of the Working

Parties. Upon reviewing its preliminary

recommendations and the specific

standards that were recommended by

other contracting parties, interest groups

or commenters for each of the Working

Parties of Experts, NHTSA found that

the majority of the standards would be

assigned to the Working Party on

Passive Safety (GRSP). Therefore, in the

interest of promoting a manageable

workload, the agency has decided to

defer some of its recommendations. In

addition, based on the considerations

discussed above, NHTSA added

Motorcycle Brakes to its list of

recommendations for the Working Party

on Brakes and Running Gear (GRRF).

NHTSA’s final recommendations to

WP.29 are categorized below according

to the Working Parties of Experts. These

recommendations focus on standards

that NHTSA believes could be

productively worked on in the

immediate future. NHTSA will continue

to work on several long term projects

that are currently underway in NHTSA

and are also being coordinated in the

International Harmonized Research

Activities (IHRA). NHTSA will also

reevaluate the list set out below on a

regular basis to assess whether a

revision is merited.

In announcing its final

recommendations, NHTSA wants to

reaffirm its commitment to achieving

the goals of the National Traffic and

Motor Vehicle Safety Act. Further, the

agency cautions that its

recommendations to WP.29 under the

1998 Global Agreement should not be

confused with its more inclusive list of

rulemaking activities under the Vehicle

Safety Act.

NHTSA’s final recommendations to

be submitted to WP.29 at the March

2001 meeting.

1. Working Party on Passive Safety

Head restraints

Lower anchorages and tethers for

child safety seats

Door retention components

Dummies (10 year old frontal dummy

and 50th percentile side impact

dummy)

Frontal impact (full/offset) protection

2. Working Party on Brakes and

Running Gears

Tires

Motorcycle brakes

3. Working Party on Lighting and LightSignaling

Signal lamp visibility

4. Working Party on General Safety

Windshield wipers and washers

Controls and displays

Vehicle classification

III. Future Actions

At the March 2001 meeting in Geneva,

NHTSA will use its final

recommendations in deliberating with

the other Contracting Parties to the 1998

Global Agreement about a program of

work for the Working Parties of Experts.

NHTSA will report to the public on the

final outcome of the deliberations after

that meeting.

Issued on January 12, 2001.

Rosalyn G. Millman,

Deputy Administrator.

[FR Doc. 01–1527 Filed 1–17–01; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–59–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety

Administration

[Docket No. NHTSA–99–6324; Notice 2]

EMB Incorporated; Grant of

Application for Temporary Exemption

From Federal Motor Vehicle Safety

Standards Nos. 108 and 120

This notice grants the application by

EMB Incorporated (‘‘EMB’’) of

Sebastopol, California, for a 2-year

exemption from portions of Federal

Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Nos. 108

Lamps, Reflective Devices and

Associated Equipment, and 120 Tire

Selection and Rims for Motor Vehicles

Other Than Passenger Cars. The

company does business as Electric

Motorbike, Inc., and has petitioned on

behalf of its Lectra VR24 motorcycle. In

the opinion of the company, a

temporary exemption ‘‘would make the

development or field evaluation of a

low-emission motor vehicle easier and

would not unreasonably lower the

safety level of that vehicle’’ (49 U.S.C.

30113(b)(3)(B)(iii)).

Notice of receipt of the petition was

published on July 17, 2000, and an

opportunity afforded for comment (65

FR 44092).

The discussion that follows is based

on information contained in EMB’s

application.

Why EMB needs a temporary

exemption. The company is developing