International Regulatory Harmonization, Motor Vehicle Safety; Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

49 CFR Part 571

[Docket No. 96-43, Notice 4]

International Regulatory Harmonization, Motor Vehicle Safety;

Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Equipment

AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: This notice is to advise interested parties that the NHTSA

Administrator, Dr. Ricardo Martinez, will conduct a public meeting on

June 17, 1998. The meeting has several purposes. One is to provide a

brief summary of the progress of negotiations concerning the draft

Agreement on Global Technical Regulations for harmonizing and

developing global technical regulations that promote ever higher levels

of environmental protection, safety, energy efficiency and anti-theft

performance of wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be

fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles. The Agreement is expected to

be open for signature during the One Hundred and Fifteenth Session of

the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe's Working Party on

the Construction of Vehicles (UN/ECE/WP.29) to be held June 22-26,

1998, in Geneva, Switzerland. The other and more important purpose of

the meeting is to outline and then invite discussion of possible

measures that NHTSA can use for promoting effective public

participation, here in the United States, and in Geneva, in the

implementation of the Agreement.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 1998, at

the address given below, and will begin at 4:00 p.m. and end at 5:30

p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 6332-36 of the

Nassif Building, 400 Seventh St, SW., Washington, DC 20590.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ms. Julie Abraham, Acting Director, Office of International

Harmonization, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 400

Seventh Street SW., Washington, DC 20590. Tel.: (202) 366-2114, and

Fax: (202) 366-2106.

Persons planning to attend the meeting are requested to contact Ms.

Julie Abraham by June 16, 1998.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 12, 1997, the Department of State

authorized NHTSA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to

conclude an agreement under the auspices of the UN/ECE concerning the

establishment of global technical regulations relating to vehicles and

related equipment and parts. on March 12, 1998, the U.S., Japan and the

EC reached agreement on a text which was presented to the members of

WP.29 for comments and final negotiations during the June 1998 Session

of WP.29. It is anticipated that the text will be finalized and

officially opened for signature on June 25, 1998 by all countries that

are members of the UN.

The negotiations concerning the text of the Agreement have been and

will continue to be guided by principles set forth by Dr. Martinez as

requirements that need to be met for the agency to become involved in

any international

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harmonization activity concerning vehicle safety standards. These

guiding principles include advancing vehicle safety by identifying and

adopting vehicle regulations that clearly reflect best practices;

preserving the ability of countries that become Contracting Parties to

the Agreement to adopt measures that meet their vehicle safety needs;

and ensuring the creation of an open and transparent process for the

consideration and establishment of global technical regulations. As a

result of efforts by this agency and EPA, each of these principles is

expressly recognized in the draft Agreement.

In light of the advanced stage of the negotiations concerning the

Agreement, NHTSA has begun exploring issues relating to the

implementation of the Agreement. In this regard, NHTSA emphasizes that

the same principles that have guided the agency during the negotiations

will also guide it in the implementation of the Agreement. With respect

to transparency, the agency is exploring methods that would promote

effective public participation in activities relating to harmonizing

and developing of global technical regulations within this agency's

statutory responsibilities.

More specifically, NHTSA is considering the pre-rulemaking steps it

could take in the U.S. simultaneously with the process in Geneva for

establishing global technical regulations. NHTSA recognizes the need to

outline plans for providing advance notice about its plans for

submitting a proposal under the Agreement for a global technical

regulation as well as for periodically reporting on recent developments

and seeking public input regarding upcoming events in Geneva. These

issues will be the subject of discussion during the meeting.

All interested persons and organizations are invited to attend the

meeting. To assist interested parties in preparing for the meeting, the

agency has developed a preliminary outline, shown below, of topics to

be discussed at the meeting. The agency intends to conduct the meeting

informally. The interactive exchange and development of ideas among all

participants during the meeting is critical to its success. NHTSA

believes that an interactive discussion will aid the agency in

identifying measures that would promote effective public participation

in the implementation of the Agreement. The results of the meeting will

aid the agency in developing a draft statement of policy to be

published for public comments in the near future.

Preliminary Outline of Topics for Public Meeting

1. Brief overview of the draft Agreement on Global Technical

Regulations.

2. Discussion of possible measures that NHTSA could use for

promoting effective public participation in the implementation of the

Agreement.

Issued on June 10, 1998.

Julie Abraham,

Acting Director, Office of International Harmonization.

[FR Doc. 98-15859 Filed 6-10-98; 3:16 pm]

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