[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]


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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

[[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]
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