UNUnited Nations Economic Commission for Europe

Press Release

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Moldova joins the UNECE Agreement on global vehicle regulations

Geneva, 24 January 2007 -- On 16 January 2007 Moldova decided to accede to the Agreement concerning the Establishing of Global Technical Regulations for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts which can be fitted and/or be used on Wheeled Vehicles, of 25 June 1998. In accordance with its provisions, the Agreement will enter into force for Moldova on 17 March 2007.

The accession of Moldova brings to 29 the total number of Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement. Present Contracting Parties include United States, Canada, China, India, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and South Africa, as well as many European countries including Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey and United Kingdom, as well as the European Community.

The 1998 Agreement provides the legal framework for the development of global technical regulations for vehicles and their components, with the aim of increasing their active and passive safety, reducing their pollutant emissions and improving their security (anti-theft) performance.

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) administers the 1998 Agreement and provides the global forum for the development of global regulations. To date, five global technical regulations have been adopted in the framework of the 1998 Agreement. They set up the technical prescriptions for the following: door locks and door retention components; measurement procedure for emissions and fuel consumption of motorcycles; motorcycle brakes; measurement procedure for emissions of heavy-duty vehicles; and on-board diagnostic of emissions of heavy-duty vehicles.

WP.29 is currently developing global technical regulations on other vehicle regulatory issues, including pedestrian safety, head restraint, tyres, emission test protocol of non-road mobile machinery, safety glazing materials, hand controls, tell tales and indicators and hydrogen and fuel-cell vehicles. It is expected that a sixth global technical regulation will be adopted in November this year.

For further information, please contact:

For further information, please contact:

José Capel Ferrer, Director, or
Juan Ramos García, Chief, Technology Section,
UNECE Transport Division
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland

Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 2400, 917 1998
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 0039
E-mail: [email protected] - [email protected]

Website: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/welcwp29.htm

 

Ref: ECE/TRANS/07/N02