FAQ

1. JASIC
Q1. When and for what purpose was JASIC established? What are its activities?
Q2. What types of materials are published by JASIC and how are they made available?
Q3. What regulations of which countries are provided by JASIC?
2. International Harmonization of Regulations
Q1. Why has each country or region developed its own unique automobile regulations over the years?
Q2. What are the merits of regulation harmonization? Why is it more widely recognized in recent years?
Q3. What are issues to be addressed in achieving harmonization of regulations?
3. WP29
Q1. What is WP29?
Q2. How is WP29 organized?
4. 1958 Agreement

 
<The basics of the 1958 Agreement>
Q1. What is the 1958 Agreement?
Q2. What kind of rights and obligations are assigned to the Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement"
Q3. How many Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement are there?
Q4. What’s the necessary procedure to accede to the 1958 Agreement?
Who (what agency), when, and what should be submitted to the United Nations to accede to the 1958 Agreement?
Q5. Regarding the establishment procedures of new Regulation, is the voting right entitled for all Contracting Parties?
Q6. How is a testing body authorized as a Technical Service for UN Regulations?

 
<Application of the UN Regulations>
Q7. If a country accedes to the 1958 Agreement, will it be obligated to apply all UN Regulations?
Q8. After the country becomes a Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement, is there any penalty if the Contracting Party does not apply the UN Regulation(s)?
Q9. What kind of UN Regulations should we apply?
Q10. Please advise how to introduce the UN Regulation to the domestic law. Show the Japanese case as an example.
Q11. Is it possible to use UN Regulations without being Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement?

 
<The merits of the 1958 Agreement Accession>
Q12. What are the merits of acceding to the 1958 Agreement?
Q13. What's the demerit of acceding to the 1958 Agreement?
Q14. How much is the necessary cost on acceding to the 1958 Agreement?
Q15. How much is the necessary cost after the country becomes a Contracting party to the 1958 Agreement?

5. 1998 Agreement
Q1. What is 1998 Agreement?
Q2. What rights and obligations are assigned to Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement?
Q3. Which countries are Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement?
Q4. What is the future of a relationship between global technical regulations (UN GTR) and UN Regulations?





1. JASIC

1. When and for what purpose was JASIC established? What are its activities?
1. Japan Automobile Standards Internationalization Center (JASIC) was established in 1987 by joint efforts of government and industry for the purpose of supporting activities to promote internationalization of governmental standards and certification system for motor vehicles. For details of its activities, click here.

2. What types of materials are published by JASIC and how are they made available?
2. The following materials are published by JASIC:

(1) Automotive Regulations Information System (fee-based)
Subscribers of this service can access to vehicle regulations of Europe, the United States and Australia, including UN Regulations, whose significance is increasingly acknowledged in terms of global harmonization of standards. The regulations are available both in English and Japanese. Click here for details.

(2) Automobile Type Approval Handbook for Japanese Certification (fee-based)
It covers almost all of the Japanese regulations on automobile type approval. Click here for details.

(3) Japan's Country Report
This report provides comprehensive information on Japanese vehicle regulation system, safety and environmental standards, inspection and maintenance systems and so on through easy-to-understand examples. Click here for details.

(4) Pamphlets on Harmonization of Regulations (free)
These pamphlets present a simple explanation of the UN agreement concerning the mutual recognition of approvals (1958 Agreement) and the UN agreement concerning global technical regulations for vehicles, etc. (1998 Agreement). Click here for details.

3. What regulations of which countries are provided by JASIC?
3. UN Regulations, EU Directives, the United States standards (on safety and emissions), and Australian Design Rules are available. Click here for details.
Japanese vehicle regulations are also available (in English only). Click here for details.


2. International Harmonization of Regulations

1. Why has each country or region developed its own unique automobile regulations over the years?
1. International standards have long been established for airplanes and ships, which often travel across and between continents and whose operations would be greatly hindered if each country had its own unique safety and environmental standards. On the other hand, there has been little need to consider across-the-ocean or across-the-border operations of automobiles since they are only used on land and usually in a relatively limited local area. For this reason, each country or region has developed its own vehicle standards according to its local traffic infrastructure and its own accident/environment realities.

2. What are the merits of regulation harmonization? Why is it more widely recognized in recent years?
2. The advantages of international harmonization of regulations include the following:
With uniform design specifications for vehicles by destination, the use of common parts will be promoted, and the development and production costs will be reduced.
With simpler certification procedures for each country, vehicle distribution will be widened, giving users more freedom of choice.
Interest in the harmonization of regulations is increasing because vehicle manufacturers have become internationalized and wish to expand their international vehicle trade and related business operations.
Today, with ever-more complex technologies, manufacturers would need to make immense efforts to develop vehicles that comply with different regulations. Thus, the need for harmonization of regulations is growing. Furthermore, with findings made available by each country, we can develop regulations swiftly and efficiently in line with the development of automotive technologies.

3. What are issues to be addressed in achieving harmonization of regulations?
3. Although environmental and safety issues are being discussed on a global scale today, the climate, culture, and technological capability vary greatly from country to country. In addition, each country has its own unique stance regarding developing regulations. The mere integration of different regulations in these countries and regions cannot yield well-harmonized regulations as a whole. Therefore, it is necessary to seek reasonable and effective regulations by having thorough discussions and gaining consensus internationally. For example, performance regulations based on technical rationales and testing and research findings may be adopted instead of structural regulations, if deemed appropriate in view of the situation in each country.


3. WP29

1. What is WP29?
1. Its official name is World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations. It is the only body within the United Nations to discuss the global harmonization of regulations. UN Regulations and global technical regulations (UN GTR) are formulated at WP29.

2. How is WP29 organized?
2. Click here for its organizational chart.


4. 1958 Agreement

 
<The basics of the 1958 Agreement>

1. What is the 1958 Agreement?
1.Its official title is "Agreement Concerning the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Wheeled Vehicles, Equipment and Parts Which Can Be Fitted and/or Be Used on Wheeled Vehicles and the Conditions for Reciprocal Recognition of Approvals Granted on the Basis of These Prescriptions".
This is a multilateral agreement of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe done on March 1958.
Its purposes are to establish the uniform provisions on safety and environment performance for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts and to facilitate reciprocal recognition of approvals for such wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts.
Under the 1958 Agreement, regulations concerning for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts ("UN Regulations") are annexed.
These regulations are formulated and/or revised at UN/ECE/WP29 in consideration of the latest social needs and technological development.
In 1995, the Agreement was amended with the view of participation from non-European Countries, regional economic integration organization, users of self-certificate system along with introduction of majority voting, etc.
Following the amendment, non-European countries such as Japan, South Africa and Australia have also acceded to the Agreement.

In 2017, the Agreement was revised to further increase its attractiveness, to improve the quality of the rulemaking and approval procedures related to UN Regulations, and to provide more flexibility. The changes introduced to the Agreement with that revision include the following:

(a) Possibility to issue type approvals to earlier versions of UN Regulations;
(b) Change of the voting majority threshold for UN Regulations and amendments thereof from 2/3 to 4/5;
(c) Provisions on virtual testing;
(d) Provisions on granting exemption approvals for new technologies;
(e) Provisions on type approval documentation;
(f) Introduction of a UN Database for Exchange of Type Approval information (DETA) with the possibility to replace approval markings by a UI (Unique Identifier);
(g) Introduction of an International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA);
(h) Possibility to vote in favor of new UN Regulations without being obligated to start applying them immediately;
(i) Provisions on the Conformity of Production (COP);
(j) Inclusion of criteria for Technical Services;
(k) Enhanced safeguard provisions;
(l) Provisions on solving issues concerning interpretation of regulatory text.

Reference: ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/131

2. What kind of rights and obligations are assigned to the Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement"
2. Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement have the right to vote at the time of establishing or amending UN Regulations. In addition, they can choose to apply any UN Regulations on an equipment basis. They have the right to verify compliance with the applied UN Regulations and issue approval certificates, and other Contracting Parties that have applied the same UN Regulations are obligated to accept those certificates.

3. How many Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement are there?
3. Click here for details.

4. What procedure is required to accede to the 1958 Agreement?
Who (what agency), when, and what should be submitted to the United Nations to accede to the 1958 Agreement?

4. Since the 1958 Agreement is a kind of multilateral treaty, a country accedes to the Agreement after the Minister for Foreign Affairs (or President, Prime Minister, Ambassador, etc.), who is empowered to sign the treaty, deposits an instrument of accession with the UN Secretary-General. (The decision-making process and the domestic procedure to accede to the 1958 Agreement must be in accordance with the respective domestic law.)

5. Regarding the establishment procedures of new Regulation, is the voting right entitled for all Contracting Parties?
5. As for new Regulation, the voting right is entitled to all Contracting Parties acceded to the 1958 Agreement. In case a Contracting Party does not want to apply the new Regulation, it is necessary to send the notification of Contracting Party’s intention to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
However, as for the amendment of a Regulation, the voting right is entitled only for the Contracting Parties which apply it.

6. How is a testing body authorized as a Technical Service for UN Regulations?
6. If the approval authority determines that the testing body has competence as a Technical Service according to the 1958 Agreement, it will designate the testing body as such, and in this case, the Contracting Party will need to notify the UN that it has designated that testing body as a Technical Service.

 
<Application of the UN Regulations>

7. If a country accedes to the 1958 Agreement, will it be obligated to apply all UN Regulations?
7. Contracting Parties to the Agreement can decide which UN Regulations to apply. Contracting Parties are obligated to reciprocally recognize approvals only for those UN Regulations that they have applied on an equipment basis. Japan has been proceeding with applying UN Regulations through prioritizing those that ensure environmental and safety performance.

8. After the country becomes a Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement, is there any penalty if the Contracting Party does not apply the UN Regulation(s)?
8. No penalty.
There is no obligation to apply the UN Regulation(s). A Contracting Party is free to apply any UN Regulations. At the moment of accession, the new Contracting Party shall indicate which Regulations it does not intend to apply. If the new Contracting Party doesn't indicate any, it has the obligation to apply all Regulations.

9. What kind of UN Regulations should we apply?
9. [Views/Understanding of JASIC]
A Contracting Party can decide which UN Regulations it applies by prioritizing UN Regulations considering the country’s situation: traffic environment, actuality of traffic accidents, and automobile policy etc., and apply these UN Regulations step by step.

10. Please advise how to introduce the UN Regulation to the domestic law. Show the Japanese case as an example.
10. In Japan, there are two ways to introduce the UN Regulation into the national regulation: (1) To incorporate the contents of the UN Regulation into the text of the Japanese regulation, and (2) to cite the UN Regulation in the Japanese regulation and deem it satisfactory if the UN Regulation is complied with. The Japanese Government is promoting the direct citation of UN Regulations as far as the technical requirements are concerned.

11. Is it possible to use UN Regulations without being Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement?
11. [Views/Understanding of WP29]
Any country, even one that is not a Contracting Party to the 1958 Agreement, is free to "use" UN Regulations by transposing their contents into its domestic law, or by simply accepting approvals granted according to these UN Regulations.
Click the link below for details.

Reference: https://unece.org/transport/vehicle-regulations/revision-3-reference-documents

 
<The merits of the 1958 Agreement Accession>

12. What are the merits of joining the 1958 Agreement?
12. [Views/Understanding of WP29]
Countries joining the 1958 Agreement will benefit from a high efficiency in the development of regulations, including their continuous adaptation to technical progress, thereby ensuring high levels of safety and environmental protection.
Their industry will benefit from unified specifications for the design, construction and certification of new vehicles, thereby reducing costs, and will have access to a wider international market.
Their consumers will benefit from a larger choice in efficient, safe and environment friendly vehicles.

Reference: https://unece.org/transport/vehicle-regulations/revision-3-reference-documents

13. What's the demerit of acceding to the 1958 Agreement?
13. [Views/Understanding of JASIC]
There is no demerit of acceding to the 1958 Agreement. A Contracting Party should follow the obligation of the 1958 Agreement. A Contracting Party may decide which UN Regulations it applies by prioritizing UN Regulations considering the country’s situation.

14. How much is the necessary cost on acceding to the 1958 Agreement?
14. [Views/Understanding of JASIC]
Fee is not required for accession to the 1958 Agreement.

15. How much is the necessary cost after the country becomes a Contracting party to the 1958 Agreement?
15. [Views/Understanding of JASIC]
Necessary cost varies depending on whether your country already has the Type Approval test system or not.
For example, in case that a Contracting Party already has the Type Approval test system, it is not expected that much additional budgets are required for the administrative procedure and for establishing the testing facility to issue the approval.


5. 1998 Agreement

1. What is 1998 Agreement?
1. Its official name is 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. The purposes of the 1998 Agreement are to establish global technical regulations (UN GTR) concerning safety, environment, fuel economy and theft prevention performance of motor vehicles and to implement these regulations in line with the uniform provisions of UN Regulations. In other words, the 1998 Agreement takes into consideration those nations that are employing "self-certification system," in which manufacturers guarantee the conformity of their vehicles to relevant safety standards and the government confirm the conformity of vehicles after they are placed on the market.

2. What rights and obligations are assigned to Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement?
2. Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement have the right to vote at the time of establishing or amending Global Technical Regulations (UN GTRs). Furthermore, while Contracting Parties are obligated to initiate the process for applying a UN GTR in their own countries.

3. Which countries are Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement?
3.Click here for details.

4. What is the future of a relationship between global technical regulations (UN GTR) and UN Regulations?
4. The provisions of UN GTRs that have been established are expected to be reflected into UN Regulations for harmonization of vehicle regulations. In cases where there are existing UN Regulations, the relevant UN GTRs are developed based on these UN Regulations. In this way, efforts are being made to harmonize UN Regulations and UN GTRs, thereby enabling Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement and Contracting Parties to the 1998 Agreement to harmonize their technical regulations.