Summary Report of the WP29/GRSG Common Tasks WG Tokyo Small Meeting

 

Convention dates
September 5 - 6, 2001

<Meeting overview>

An unofficial meeting of the WP29/GRSG Common Tasks WG, which compiles common definitions of motor vehicle categories, weights and dimensions for global harmonization of motor vehicle regulations, was held in Tokyo over two days on September 5 (Wed) and 6 (Thurs). At the meeting, documents were compiled for examination by the next Common Tasks WG.

The first meeting of the Common Tasks WG was held in October of last year, and at the second meeting held in March, Japan submitted proposals on fundamental outlook regarding categories. At the third meeting, scheduled for October, a preliminary proposal on categories will be compiled based on comments from each nation regarding Japan's proposal. At the latest unofficial meeting, the majority of members of the Common Tasks WG, including Japan, gathered together and examined the merits and demerits of categories for passenger car and large-sized vehicle, and compiled documents clarifying a framework for distinctions in such categories. At the third meeting in October, these documents will be examined.

<Reference>

Convention dates: September 5 (Wed) and 6 (Thurs), 2001
Location: Japan Automobile Standards Internationalization Center (JASIC) conference room
Chairman: Takao Onoda (Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)
Participants: Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Canadian Ministry of Transport, GRSG chairperson, European Automobile Manufacturers Association, JASIC, CT Administrative Office

For official meeting minutes and other data, go to: http://www.unece.org/trans/main/wp29/wp29wgs/wp29grsg/commontasks.html

 

Common Tasks

In response to expanding international distribution of motor vehicles and equipment and globalization of the automobile industry, Global Technical Regulations, an international agreement promoting global harmonization of safety and environmental regulations for motor vehicles and equipment, which differ in each country, was signed by eight countries, including Japan, and put into effect on August 25, 2000. (Japan signed the Agreement in August 1999. As of September 2001, there are 15 signatory nations.)

Global harmonization of regulations based on the Agreement will be the subject of full-fledged deliberations by Japan, the USA, Europe and other concerned nations at the UN World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP29). In formulating international harmonized regulations, the Japanese government thus far has advocated the need for compiling common global definitions for automobile categories and for methods of measuring their weights and dimensions, which are stipulated separately in each country at present. As a result, the necessity was recognized internationally; a W/G was established under the Working Party on General Safety Provisions (GRSG) of the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations, UN/ECE (WP29), chaired by Japan's Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Discussions will be held among concerned nations, etc., and common global definitions of vehicle categories, weights and dimensions will be determined, hopefully by this autumn.


 

 
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