2000 ROAD TRANSPORT HARMONISATION PROJECT

A. PROJECT DESIGN

1 Name of  Project

Phase V Stage 2 of the Road Transport Harmonisation Project (RTHP).

02. Name of the working group or committee taking responsibility for the project and the dissemination of its results

TPT-WG

Objectives

03. The objectives/justifications of the project

Seeking to realise the Bogor Declaration objectives for the automotive sector, action will be necessary to foster trade liberalisation, whilst taking account of traffic safety and environmental protection.

Currently, APEC member economies adopt different vehicle standards and conformity assessment requirements which should be harmonised. APEC TPT-WG has encouraged member economies to participate in United Nations/Economic Commission for Europe (UN/ECE) Working Party 29 (WP 29) as the world forum for international harmonisation of vehicle standards.

APEC TPT-WG is carrying out Phase V Stage 1 of RTHP in 1999 to provide guidelines for APEC economies to become members of WP 29 and working with two volunteer APEC member economies to develop action plans to achieve harmonised regulatory arrangements to facilitate trade for automotive product in the region. 

RTHP was endorsed by the APEC Transportation Working Group (TPT-WG) in Auckland, New Zealand in 1994. This project has undertaken the collection and analysis of vehicle regulations and certification systems implemented by APEC economies to identify the commonalities and differences. Phase V of the RTHP is the most important and conclusive part of the project seeking to provide standardised vehicle safety and emissions regulatory systems in APEC.

Proposed standards and conformity assessment arrangements developed by the Project are intended to align with WP 29 recommendations. The Project’s objectives are consistent with WTO and APEC Leaders’ directives and the Osaka Action Agenda.

05. For application under the TILF Special Account: How, briefly, this project contributes to APEC Trade and Investment Liberalisation and Facilitation (eg. relevance to specific parts of the Osaka Action Agenda)

N/A

 Linkages

06. The kind of institutions in member economies intended to benefit from the results of the project. Highlight the direct benefits to the institutions, the types of business in member economies which will benefit from the results of the project are

The project will assist APEC member economies to implement efficient certification and harmonised regulatory systems that meet their needs for safety and emission control. Both Government regulation agencies and the automotive industry will benefit through the development of standardised regulatory systems allowing free and open trade in automotive product within the APEC region and beyond.

07. How the participation of the business/private sector and non-governmental institutions has been sought or will be sought. Illustrate how the business/private sector are involved in the planning and delivery of the project and whether any other APEC fora have been consulted.

At the inaugural International Road Vehicle Standards Harmonization Seminar held in Mexico City in April 1998, representatives of regional and international automotive manufacturer organisations encouraged TPT-WG to increase its efforts to harmonise vehicle safety and emission standards. All industry organisations supported recognition of the WP 29 as the forum for international harmonisation of vehicle standards.

Representatives of the international vehicle manufacturer associations, International Organisation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) and International Motorcycle Manufacturers Association (IMMA) have been granted formal guest status at meetings of the Road Transport Harmonisation Project Group. Motor vehicle consumers are represented by the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

The United States has proposed Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalisation for the automotive sector. One of the major planks of this initiative is the harmonisation of vehicle regulatory requirements and the proposal acknowledges that the vehicle standards work will proceed in accordance with the Road Transport Harmonisation Project work plan.

No other APEC work has been done in the same area. This work supports efforts under way in WP 29 the forum for the development of international automotive technical regulations. The EVSL proposal for the automotive sector recognises the work of the RTHP and seeks a heightened level of activity.

The Automotive Sector is one of the 15 sectors identified for EVSL by Trade Ministers. This project will provide expertise on standards harmonisation which is one of the four elements of the EVSL automotive sector work plan.

The project will assist APEC member economies to implement efficient certification and harmonised regulatory systems that meet their needs for safety and emission control and ensure that automotive product can be traded internationally free from impediments caused by differences in standards and conformity assessment requirements.

11. A concise description of the project’s methodology

In 2000 (2000/01) Phase V Stage 2 of RTHP will provide assistance in developing action programs for APEC member economies which lead them to the goal of meeting Bogor Declaration objectives. Phase V seeks to achieve Bogor objectives for the automotive sector in five years (1999 - 2003).

Major approaches to realise Bogor Declaration Objectives are centred on measures for APEC member economies to become participants in WP 29 through joining the "1958 Agreement" and /or "Global Agreement". The TPT-WG model MRA for automotive product, endorsed by APEC Transport Ministers in 1997, will also be considered as an option if found appropriate.

12. A concise description of the project by component, with its associated outputs clearly specified

Phase V of the RTHP is composed of three components (Stage 1,2 and 3)

Stage One (1999): Pilot Study

Action Programs for APEC Member Economies

1 Consultants to provide guidelines for APEC Member Economies to become members of WP29 through joining the "1958 Agreement" and /or "Global Agreement" with respect to:

- Implementation of Safety/Environmental standards

- Implementation of Certification system

- Some system to check the vehicle compliance with the compulsory standards (Random Testing/Audit/Vehicle Inspection System/etc.)

2 The Pilot Study examines two voluntary APEC member economies to identify the differences between the desirable state indicated by the guidelines in (1) above and the current status of standards /certification arrangements and propose possible solutions to identified deficiencies.

The Pilot Project is an APEC funded activity for 1999 and is scheduled to be completed at the end of the calender year. 

Stage Two (in 2000)or (2000/01): Extension of Pilot Study

The consultants will assist all APEC member economies in developing action programs to achieve the Project’s objectives. The consultants will make the common problems among APEC member economies clear and propose possible solutions.

This Project Proposal is seeking APEC funding for this Stage Two activity.

Stage Three (in 2001 – 2003) or (2002/03): Follow-up

The consultants will provide assistance in making action programs for the remaining APEC member economies which neither become a WP 29 member through joining the "1958 Agreement" and /or "Global Agreement" or make their own action programs. The consultants will get through this follow-up consultation process by the end of 2003.

Stage 1 of Phase V was commissioned in 1999 under APEC funding of
US$50 000.

 Stage 2 of Phase V is planned for implementation in 2000 (2000/01).

All APEC member economies are encouraged to participate in the project.

 BUDGET

Direct Labour ($/Hour x Hours = $) US$
Travel US$
Printing US$
Communications US$
Total US$

APEC funding is requested to be paid within one month after each report is accepted by the following schedule.

• Progress Report One:
• Progress Report Two:
• Draft Final Report:
• Final Report:

17. Details of any request for waiver or exception from normal APEC financial rules with justifications

There will be no request for waiver or exception from the normal APEC financial rules.

Determination of Project Output

18. A plan for the publication and dissemination of the results of the project, including:

a. The nature of the target audience, and, based on that audience

Members of TPT/WG

  b. The form and content

Final report

 c. Format

Hard copies or electronic format

  d. Number of copies for the publication

Twenty five

  e. Accessibility of results for the targeted audience

Final Report (hard copies) will be sent by mail or electronic device. The report will be placed on the TPT-WG Web site for the information of a wider audience.

  f. A publicity plan

No plan for briefing the media and sales promotion of the final report. Member economies are expected to promote outcomes to domestic stakeholders

g. A budget for publication and dissemination to form part of the itemised budget

It is included in the budget item "Printing" and "Communication".

Assessment of Project

 19. How the project proponent will assess whether he has met the criteria for APEC projects and how he will measure the impact of the project on expected beneficiaries

  1. Consultant report accepted by the RTHP Steering Committee

2. Progress of member economies in meeting Bogor Declaration Objectives is assessed by RTHP Steering Committee at the completion of Stage 3 of the RTHP Phase V.

B. UNDERTAKING BY THE WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE

The TPT W/G undertakes that, working closely with the APEC Secretariat, due care has been taken that:

1. The line items for the APEC-funded parts of the budget for this project are within SOM-approved guidelines.
2. The costs for line items for APEC-funded parts of the budget of this project are justifiable.

and, with regard to the dissemination of results from the project, due care will be taken that:

1. Comprehensive quality control and professional editing, including factual precision and thoroughness, to ensure that the publication or other dissemination media will be understood by and useful/beneficial to the target audience, will be undertaken before submission of the publication to the printer or the APEC Secretariat.
2. Any output will be consistent with APEC’s publication policy.

The project has been reviewed, approved and prioritised by my Committee/Working Group before it is submitted to the BAC for review.

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SIGNATURE

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LEAD SHEPHERD

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DATE AND PLACE

Enclosure 1

1 NOTE This funding is only for financial year

This page was last updated on 12 March, 2008