RECOMMENDATION on the draft Council decision amending Decision 2000/125/EC of 31 January 2000 concerning the conclusion of 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 ("Parallel Agreement")

4.6.2013 - (05975/2013 – C7‑0071/2013 – 2012/0098(NLE)) - ***

Committee on International Trade
Rapporteur: Vital Moreira

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision amending Decision 2000/125/EC of 31 January 2000 concerning the conclusion of 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 ("Parallel Agreement")

(05975/2013 – C7‑0071/2013 – 2012/0098(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the draft Council decision (05975/2013),

–   having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 207(4) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C7-0071/2013),

–   having regard to Rules 81 and 90(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on International Trade (A7-0194/2013),

1.  Consents to the draft Council decision;

2.  Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

At international level, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) develops harmonised requirements, intended to remove technical barriers to the trade in motor vehicles between the Contracting Parties to the Revised 1958 Agreement and to ensure that such vehicles offer a high level of safety and environmental protection.

The objective of this proposal is to simplify and expedite the procedure regarding the voting of UNECE Regulations by the Commission on behalf of the Union, hence reducing the delay in the adoption of these acts in the framework of the UNECE. This is important as the EU vehicle type-approval system currently relies more and more on UNECE Regulations, which are replacing EU legislation. In addition, quicker adoption of legislation will allow for faster responses to regulatory requests from the operators.

Furthermore, the changes to the Treaties occurred after the adoption of Council Decision 97/836/EC, in particular the adoption of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, have substantially altered the decision making procedure to be followed for the establishment of the position of the Union when voting Regulations to be adopted by the UNECE and the conclusion of agreements between the Union and international organisations, making it necessary to adapt those Decisions to the new procedures.

The draft Decision therefore aims at adapting Council Decision 2000/125/EC to the decision making procedures regarding international agreements set out in the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

By Council Decision 2000/125/EC of 31 January 2000 concerning the conclusion of 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 ("Parallel Agreement") the Union has acceded to the Parallel Agreement, in the framework of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE).

That Decision should be amended to reflect the changes introduced by the TFEU to the decision making procedure to be followed for the establishment of the position of the Union when voting Regulations to be adopted by the UNECE and the conclusion of agreements between the Union and international organisations.

The proposal is in line with the objectives of the common trade policy in accordance with Article 217 TFEU. The participation of the Union at the work of the UNECE helps developing and strengthening the international harmonisation of vehicle-related technical regulations, contributing to facilitate international trade in motor vehicles. The 1958 Agreement plays a key role in this objective since manufacturers can operate a common set of type-approval standards knowing that their products will be recognised by many countries on different continents as being in conformity with their national legislation. International regulatory harmonisation is thus one of the most effective means to prevent obstacles to trade.

Observations from the rapporteur

Your rapporteur welcomes the draft Council Decision to amend the Council Decision on the Parallel Agreement and believes the European Parliament should give its consent.

The amendment provides that Union positions in relation to technical regulations in the context of the Parallel agreement shall be established in the procedure laid down in Article 218(9) of the TFEU, and that Union positions in relation to proposed amendments to the Parallel Agreement itself shall be approved in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 218(6)(a) of the TFEU.

RESULT OF FINAL VOTE IN COMMITTEE

Date adopted	28.5.2013
Result of final vote	+: –: 0:	28 0 1
Members present for the final vote	William (The Earl of) Dartmouth, Maria Badia i Cutchet, David Campbell Bannerman, Daniel Caspary, María Auxiliadora Correa Zamora, Andrea Cozzolino, George Sabin Cutaş, Metin Kazak, Franziska Keller, Bernd Lange, David Martin, Vital Moreira, Paul Murphy, Cristiana Muscardini, Franck Proust, Godelieve Quisthoudt-Rowohl, Niccolò Rinaldi, Peter Šťastný, Robert Sturdy, Henri Weber, Iuliu Winkler, Jan Zahradil, Paweł Zalewski
Substitute(s) present for the final vote	Catherine Bearder, Albert Deß, Elisabeth Köstinger, Mario Pirillo, Marietje Schaake, Jarosław Leszek Wałęsa
Substitute(s) under Rule 187(2) present for the final vote	Marie-Christine Vergiat