ISO Fifty years' on Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Vehicles

The World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP 29) of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) recently celebrated the 50th anniversary of its 1958 Agreement on Uniform Technical Prescriptions for Vehicles

ISO participated in this anniversary which was a good opportunity to measure and appreciate the collaboration, cooperation and complementarity that UN/ECE and ISO have developed over the years through WP 29.

The 1958 Agreement has resulted in some 127 regulations on issues relating to safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and the anti-theft performance of motor vehicles. It contributes at the global level to improving the safety of motor vehicles and reducing their impact on the environment since the Agreement enables a vehicle approved on the basis of a UN/ECE regulation to be accepted in many countries. Forty-eight European and non-European countries have already signed the Agreement.

At the anniversary meeting, other countries announced that they are considering signing and implementing the Agreement. These include China, India, other Asian countries and countries from the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The European Union (EU), which is a signatory to the 1958 Agreement, is considering increasing its use of pertinent technical regulations annexed to the Agreement In a press release issued to mark the anniversary, the EU stated: “In addition to avoiding divergent legislations and duplication of administrative procedures, one single standard at UN level also contributes to simplifying EU legislation. For example, the CARS 21 Group identified 38 EC Directives which could be replaced with international UN/ECE regulations."

ISO Secretary-General Alan Bryden highlighted the relationship between ISO and UN/ECE since the creation of WP 29, declaring: “The orientation you took in 2003 to refer, whenever possible, to International Standards and to request proactive standardization to facilitate regulatory work goes in the right direction. Some 150 ISO standards are currently referenced by your technical regulations. We are ready to continue to deliver and welcome a good coordination to capture your expectations and adjust our production of standards accordingly. “

The standards elaborated by the ISO technical committee ISO/TC 22, Road vehicles, support the evolution of the automotive industry by reducing the complexity of the relations between vehicle manufacturers and their suppliers, and by the reduction of diverging requirements between geographical regions. Twenty-five countries participate fully in the work of ISO/TC 22 and 43 more are kept regularly informed as observers. Through this national representation, all major automotive companies and other important stakeholders take a direct part in the TC’s activities.

Fifty years' harmonization of regulations combined with the use of consensus-based International Standards has greatly reduced technical barriers to the trade of motor vehicles and even eliminated them between some countries. ISO/TC 22's standards have also contributed to attaining a high level of safety and protection of the environment, as well as optimizing customer-supplier relations in the now globalized automotive industry.