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MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS AGREEMENT SIGNED WITH UNITED NATIONS
Release Date: 08/24/2000
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FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, 2000
MOTOR VEHICLE EMISSIONS AGREEMENT
SIGNED WITH UNITED NATIONS
The United Nations announced an international agreement, that goes into effect Aug. 25, to develop globally uniform environmental regulations for motor vehicles. These regulations will help to uniformly provide greater environmental protection, energy efficiency, vehicle safety and pollution reduction from automobiles for countries who are members of the United Nations. Current levels of environmental protection and vehicle safety will not be compromised in order to achieve this regulatory uniformity called harmonization. This agreement ensures that regulatory activities will be carried out in an open manner and will consider the best available technology, the cost effectiveness of these technologies, as well as the benefits to public health. Participating countries may submit candidate regulations that will be included in a compendium of regulations that other countries can adopt. These countries may also collaborate in the development of new global regulations which they could propose to adopt in their country. Any regulation that the United States chooses to adopt would be subject to the formal United States regulatory process. The development of the Agreement was spearheaded by EPA and the Department of Transportation. The United States was the first to sign the agreement, followed by Canada, Japan, France, England, the European Union, Germany and Russia. South Africa also signed the agreement and is waiting to be ratified. For more information about the “Agreement Concerning Global Technical Regulations, under the United Nations= Economic Commission for Europe and administered by its World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations.”
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