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 technical prescriptions relating to the protection of motor vehicles against unauthorised use
Date: 2003-10-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: harmonisation of standards, motor car, safety device, technical specification, vehicle parts

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 24.10.2003
COM(2003) 632 final

2003/0248 (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 technical prescriptions relating
to the protection of motor vehicles against unauthorised use

(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  Revised  1958  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  The  said
Regulation  will  not  be  incorporated  into  the  Community  system  for  the  type-approval  of
motor vehicles 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  agenda  for  a  forthcoming  meeting  of  the  World  Forum  for  Harmonisation  of  Vehicle
Regulations of the The said Regulation will not be incorporated into the Community system
for  the  type-approval  of  motor  vehicles  includes  in  particular  a  vote  on  a  (new)  draft
Regulation  concerning  the  approval  of  uniform  technical  prescriptions  relating  to  the
protection of motor vehicles against unauthorised use.

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 EuropeanUnion, 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 UN/ECE.

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2003/0248 (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 technical prescriptions relating
to the protection of motor vehicles against unauthorised use

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 Article4(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 relating to the protection of
motor vehicles against unauthorised use will abolish the 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,

1

2

3

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

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HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article1

The  draft  Regulation  of  the  United  Nations  Economic  Commission  for  Europe  (UN/ECE)
concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions relating to the protection of motor
vehicles  against  unauthorised  use,  as  set  out  in  document  TRANS/WP.29/2002/3  Rev.1,  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 UN/ECE.

Article 3

The UN/ECE Regulation concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions relating
to the protection of motor vehicles against unauthorised use will not be incorporated into the
Community system for the type-approval of motor vehicles.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

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