[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 113 (Friday, June 12, 1998)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 32179-32180]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-15859]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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
[[Page 32180]]
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]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-M
