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 concerning the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicles
Date: 2003-10-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: harmonisation of standards, materials technology, motor vehicle, technical specification, vehicle parts

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 24.10.2003
COM(2003) 630 final

2003/0247 (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 concerning the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior
construction of certain categories of motor 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  Revised  1958  Agreement  of  the  United  Nations  Economic
Commission for Europe (UN/ECE); that Decision took effect on 24 March 1998.

Article 4 of that Decision states in particular that, where a draft Regulation of the UN/ECE 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  UN/ECE  includes  in  particular  a  vote  on  a  draft  (new)  Regulation  on
uniform  prescriptions  concerning  the  burning  behaviour  of  materials  used  in  the  interior
construction of certain categories of motor vehicles.

The aim of the Regulation is, in particular, to establish harmonised technical requirements in
order  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 based on the
documents available in the official languages of the  UN/ECE (French  and English).  Indeed,
the EC having become a Contracting Party to the revised 1958 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.

CONTENT 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 at a forthcoming meeting of the World
Forum for Harmonisation of Vehicle Regulations of the UN/ECE.

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2003/0247 (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 concerning the burning behaviour of materials used in the interior
construction of certain categories of motor 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  on  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 prescriptions 1,
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 on the
adoption  of  uniform  technical  prescriptions  concerning  the  burning  behaviour  of
materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicles 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 of 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 (UN/ECE) on
the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions concerning the burning behaviour of materials
used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor vehicles, as set out in document
TRANS/WP.29/2002/23, 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  on  the  adoption  of  uniform  technical  prescriptions  concerning  the
burning behaviour of materials used in the interior construction of certain categories of motor
vehicles 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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