Proposal for a Council Decision on the position of the European Community on the draft Regulation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform prescriptions concerning the approval of cornering lamps for power-driven vehicles
Date: 2003-08-13
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: approval, harmonisation of standards, motor vehicle, signalling device, transport safety

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 13.8.2003
COM(2003) 498 final

2003/0188 (AVC)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on the position of the European Community on the draft Regulation of the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform prescriptions concerning the
approval of cornering lamps for power-driven vehicles

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

1.

GENERAL

By Council Decision 97/836/EC of 27 November 1997, the European Community became a
Contracting  Party  to  the  1958  Revised  Agreement  of  the  United  Nations  Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) on 24 March 1998.

Article  4  of  that  Decision  states  in  particular  that,  where  a  draft  Regulation  of  the  United
Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  is  submitted  to  a  vote  within  the  appropriate
bodies  of  the  UN/ECE,  the  draft  concerned  must  be  approved  by  the  Council,  after  having
received the assent of the European Parliament, before the Community can vote in favour of
adopting such a draft Regulation.

The provisional agenda for a forthcoming meeting of the World Forum for Harmonisation of
Vehicle  Regulations  of  the  United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  includes  in
particular a vote on a draft (new) Regulation concerning the approval of uniform prescriptions
concerning the approval of cornering lamps for power-driven vehicles.

The  aim  of  the  Regulation  is  in  particular  to  establish  harmonised  technical  provisions  to
avoid  the  creation  of  technical  barriers  to  trade  in  motor  vehicles  between  the  Contracting
Parties, while ensuring a high level of safety and environmental protection.

It should be stressed that the position of the EC at the time of the vote  will be taken on the
basis  of  the  documents  available  in  the  official  languages  of  the  UN/ECE  (French  and
English). Indeed, the EC having become a Contracting Party to the 1958 Revised Agreement
of  the  UN/ECE  is  required  to  observe  the  procedures  envisaged  in  the  aforementioned
agreement.

In conformity with the requirements of Article 4 (5) of Decision 97/836/EC, the  Regulation
will be published in all the official languages of the Communities in the Official Journal of
the European Union before entering into force.

2.

CONTENTS OF THE PROPOSAL FOR A DECISION

The purpose of the proposal for a Decision is to enable the Commission representative to vote
on behalf of the Community on the draft Regulation in question at a forthcoming meeting of
the World Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe.

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2003/0188 (AVC)

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

on the position of the European Community on the draft Regulation of the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe on uniform prescriptions concerning the
approval of cornering lamps for power-driven vehicles

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,

Having regard to Council Decision 97/836/EC of 27 November 1997 with a view to accession
by the European Community to the Agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission
for Europe  concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles,
equipment  and  parts  which  can  be  fitted  to  and/or  be  used  on  wheeled  vehicles  and  the
conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions1,
and in particular the second indent of Article 4(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission2,

Having regard to the assent of the European Parliament3,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

The  draft  Regulation  of  the  United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe
concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions applicable to the approval
of  cornering  lamps  for  power-driven  vehicles  will  establish  harmonised  technical
provisions  to  avoid  the  creation  of  technical  barriers  to  trade  in  motor  vehicles
between  the  Contracting  Parties  as  far  as  these  components  are  concerned,  while
ensuring a high level of safety and environmental protection.

It  is  necessary  to  establish  the  position  to  be  taken  by  the  Community  on  the  draft
Regulation.

The said Regulation will not be incorporated into the Community system for the type-
approval of motor vehicles at the present time

1

2

3

OJ L 346, 17.12.1997, p. 78.
OJ C …, …, p. …
OJ C …, …, p. …

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HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The draft Regulation of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe concerning the
adoption of uniform technical prescriptions applicable to the approval of cornering lamps for
power-driven vehicles, as set out in document TRANS/WP.29/2002/62, is hereby approved.

Article 2

The  Community,  represented  by  the  Commission,  should  vote  in  favour  of  the  draft
Regulation  referred  to  in  Article  1,  during  the  vote  at  the  meeting  of  the  Administrative
Committee  at  a  forthcoming  meeting  of  the  World  Forum  for  Harmonisation  of  Vehicle
Regulations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Article 3

The  UN/ECE  Regulation  concerning  the  adoption  of  uniform  technical  prescriptions
applicable  to  the  approval  of  cornering  lamps  for  power-driven  vehicles  will  not  be
incorporated  into  the  Community  system  for  the  type-approval  of  motor  vehicles  at  the
present time.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

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