ROAD TRANSPORT HARMONISATION PROJECT MEETING LETTER

Dear Colleagues

Please find attached a draft agenda for the RTHP Group meeting scheduled to be held 27 March 2000 commencing 900 am at the Mandarin Hotel Singapore Meeting Room 3 on 8^th Floor. Your comments would be appreciated by cob 1 March 2000 Eastern Australia Time.

I have also attached a draft discussion list for consideration under Agenda Item 9. As members will recall this issue is one which we have touched upon briefly at previous meetings. For APEC to provide "free and open trade" in complete vehicles it will be necessary to identify the range of vehicle design features that need to be regulated to achieve the objective. This exercise is not intended to determine which regulations should apply but merely to consider those parts of the vehicle that should be regulated.

Members will note that in their report for RTHP Phase V Stage 1 the consultants identified the need to address this issue of whole vehicle type approval. In its work, the Automotive Dialogue has not only included automotive parts but also complete vehicles with its focus on passenger cars. It is for this reason that the proposed discussion list is limited to passenger cars for first consideration by the RTHP Group after which other vehicle categories could be examined. Your early views on this proposal and whether another vehicle category would be more suitable would be appreciated to allow sufficient time to prepare a discussion list.

At this stage a New Project Proposal has not been developed for 2001. RTHP Phase V is a 5 year project with Stage 1 completed in 1999 and Stage 2 commencing this year. The intention of Stage 2 is to carry forward the Stage 1 work to all APEC economies. Much will depend on the progress made during this year before an assessment can be made on the need for further work to complete Stage 2. Consideration may need to be given to a self funded activity in 2001 however should any member wish to develop a New Project Proposal it would need to be circulated in the very near future to allow consideration at TPT-WG17.

I look forward to meeting you in Singapore.

Best regards

Mike Kimberlee

This page was last updated on 3 March 2000