ECE regulations

The Agreement on the Acceptance of Uniform Conditions for the Approval of Equipment and Parts of Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicles) and on the Mutual Recognition of Approval (alternatively: Agreement on the Adoption of [uniform / harmonized] technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts used in wheeled vehicles [(n)] built in [and /] or used [for], and the conditions for the mutual recognition of approvals that have been granted according to these [regulations / regulations] ; in short, the Geneva Convention of March 20, 1958 ) an important set of rules of the United Nations economic Commission for Europe ( United Nations economic Commission for Europe , UNECE or UN / ECE) to reduce technical barriers to international trade. It was revised in 1995, which is called the Revised 1958 Convention.

The central content is a type approval for road- wheeled vehicles and their components recognized by the contracting parties , the type [ s ] approval according to a UN regulation , UNECE type [ s ] approval for short (also ECE type [ s ] approval , UN type [ en ] approval ).

The regulations attached to the Convention of March 20, 1958 (including regulations attached to the 1958 Convention , regulations of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations , or UN / ECE regulations for short , UNECE , ECE regulations, UN regulations ) contain technical regulations , Test procedures , the more precise conditions for type approval, as well as approval marks ( ECE test marks ) and conditions for ensuring conformity of production. The designation of an individual regulation always begins with the words: “Regulation No. ... ".

Basics

The UNECE in Geneva, part of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), has been working on the cross-border harmonization of technical regulations since the late 1950s.

To this end, an agreement was launched on March 20, 1958, which was accepted by numerous states over the course of the following decades. It was amended with effect from October 16, 1995. This agreement has over 60 contracting parties, including the European Union , ^** through which the 2007 agreement is also valid in those of its member states that are not themselves contracting parties to the agreement (at the time Ireland, Cyprus and Malta). However, since approvals are not issued by the European Union itself, but by its member states and these use their own country code, these member states of the European Union have also been assigned country codes. The signatory states go far beyond the area of the European Union and even Europe. For example B. also Azerbaijan, Australia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia.

This convention enables the adoption of uniform technical regulations on an international level, especially for motor vehicles and trailers , equipment and parts that can be installed and / or used in wheeled vehicles, as well as mutual recognition and approval by the contracting parties to the convention. This is primarily intended to reduce barriers in trade . Since 1958, more than 100 regimes affiliated to the Convention have been established on the basis of the Convention. The regulations are recommendations that the respective contracting states can integrate into their national law. The EU can also adopt regulations attached to the Convention for all member states of the European Union . In this case, there is no need for an additional legal act with which these regulations or changes to regulations are incorporated into national law.

Most of these provisions attached to the Convention have been adopted by a large majority of the contracting parties and have been integrated into national law. They cover most of the parts and equipment of motor vehicles that are relevant for the issue of an operating license. The regulations are constantly being adapted in line with technical progress. Many countries, even if they are not official contracting parties, recognize the UN / ECE type approval and allow the use and import of vehicles and parts that have been type tested according to UN / ECE regulations.

This is followed by the process of ECE homologation , which means that a type approval in one of the accession states is automatically recognized in all other accession states.

Today is a process of enlarging the said Agreement, a further International Whole Vehicle Type Approval ( International Whole Vehicle Type Approval is to work out IWVTA). This takes place between Europe, Japan and Russia as part of the World Forum for the harmonization of vehicle regulations (WP.29) of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) of the UNECE.

List of contracting parties

Part of an approval mark, as it is described in the regulations attached to the Convention of March 20, 1958 and is allocated according to a regulation when a type approval is granted. Here with the country code "1", which stands for Germany. A complete approval mark consists of the circle shown above with content; the approval number and, if applicable, the number of the international agreement with the letter "R" and, if necessary, additional characters are located near it. It is intended to be attached to wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts.

Kz. = Code of the country and contracting party (as of February 28, 2017)

Concentration camp.	Contracting party
1	Germany Germany
2	France France
3	Italy Italy
4th	Netherlands Netherlands
5	Sweden Sweden
6th	Belgium Belgium
7th	Hungary Hungary
8th	Czech Republic Czech Republic
9	Spain Spain
10	Serbia Serbia
11	United Kingdom United Kingdom
12	Austria Austria
13	Luxembourg Luxembourg
14th	Switzerland Switzerland
16	Norway Norway
17th	Finland Finland
18th	Denmark Denmark
19th	Romania Romania
20th	Poland Poland

Concentration camp.	Contracting party
21st	Portugal Portugal
22nd	Russia Russia
23	Greece Greece
24	Ireland Ireland ^*
25th	Croatia Croatia
26th	Slovenia Slovenia
27	Slovakia Slovakia
28	Belarus Belarus
29	Estonia Estonia
30th	Moldova Republic Moldova
31	Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina
32	Latvia Latvia
33	...
34	Bulgaria Bulgaria
35	Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
36	Lithuania Lithuania
37	Turkey Turkey
39	Azerbaijan Azerbaijan
40	North Macedonia North Macedonia

Concentration camp.	Contracting party
41	...
42	European Union ^**
43	Japan Japan
44	...
45	Australia Australia
46	Ukraine Ukraine
47	South Africa South Africa
48	New Zealand New Zealand
49	Cyprus Republic Cyprus ^*
50	Malta Malta ^*
51	Korea South South Korea
52	Malaysia Malaysia
53	Thailand Thailand
54	Albania Albania
56	Montenegro Montenegro
57	San Marino San Marino
58	Tunisia Tunisia
59	...
60	Georgia Georgia
61	...
62	Egypt Egypt

^* Ireland, Cyprus and Malta are not a party to the European Union, but are applying the same provisions attached to the Convention of March 20, 1958 and established on the basis of the Convention as the European Union.

^**The EU joined in 1997 (Decision 97/836 / EC). It has repealed its specific type approval guidelines and replaced them with the binding application of the relevant UN regulations (Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009). The agreement was published in the Official Journal of the EU in May 2018. With the new version of Directive 2007/46 / EC through Regulation (EU) 2018/858 , a UN type approval is equivalent to an EU type approval. Approvals are granted by their member states, each using their own country code.

Type approval marking (ECE test mark)

The approval mark described in the applicable regulation ( approval mark according to a regulation attached to the Convention of March 20, 1958 , ECE test mark for short) is attached to every piece of equipment and every part for which a license has been granted on the basis of the Convention and the regulations attached to the Convention ), which consists of a circle; inside the letter "E" and the code of the country that issued the approval, as well as the approval number near this circle, if necessary from the number of the international agreement with the letter "R" and possibly additional characters (Examples: "E 1" for Germany, "E 58" for Tunisia).

Management Committee

The administrative committee of the agreement, which draws up the individual regulations, consists of representatives of all contracting parties and meets under the auspices of the UNECE. De facto, the administrative committee of the agreement is organized within the structure of the UNECE at WP.29 .

List of the regulations attached to the Convention of March 20, 1958

According to APPENDIX IV - List of the binding UNECE regulations Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009 (regulations in italics are not included in the appendix)

R 1 motor vehicle headlights for asymmetrical low beam and / or high beam which are equipped with bulbs of category R2 and / or HS1
R 2 -
R 3 Retroreflective devices for motor vehicles
R 4 lighting devices for the rear license plate of motor vehicles and their trailers
R 5 sealed beam headlights for motor vehicles (self-service headlights) for European asymmetrical low beam or high beam or for both
R 6 direction indicators for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 7 marker lights, tail lights, brake lights and clearance lights for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 8 halogen headlights (H1, H2, H3, HB3, HB4, H7, H8, H9, HIR1, HIR2 and / or H11) for motor vehicles
R 9 Uniform conditions for the approval of vehicles of classes L2, L4 and L5 with regard to noise emissions
R 10 electromagnetic compatibility (radio interference suppression)
R 11 door locks and door hangers
R 12 Protection of the vehicle driver in front of the steering system in the event of an accident
R 13 brakes of vehicles and trailers
R 13-H brakes of vehicles of classes M ₁ and N ₁
R 14 seat belt anchors, ISOFIX anchoring systems and anchors for the upper ISOFIX retaining belt
R 15 (replaced by R 83)
R 16 seat belts, restraint systems, child restraint systems and ISOFIX child restraint systems
R 17 seats, their anchorages and headrests
R 18 Securing motor vehicles against unauthorized use
R 19 fog lights for motor vehicles
R 20 motor vehicle headlights with halogen bulbs (H4 lamps) for asymmetrical low beam and / or high beam
R 21 interior
R 22 protective helmets
R 23 reversing lights for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 24 emissions from diesel engines
R 25 Headrests included and not included in vehicle seats
R 26 Protruding outer edges
R 27 warning triangles
R 28 Devices for acoustic signals / acoustic signals
R 29 Protection of the occupants of the cab of commercial vehicles
R 30 pneumatic tires for motor vehicles and their trailers (class C1)
R 31 Sealed Beam halogen headlight unit (HSB) for motor vehicles for asymmetrical low beam and / or high beam
R 32 rear impact structure
R 33 -
R 34 Prevention of fire hazards (containers for liquid fuel)
R 35 Arrangement of the foot controls
R 36 Construction of public transport vehicles
R 37 Incandescent lamps for use in approved headlights and lights of motor vehicles and their trailers
R 38 rear fog lights for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 39 speed measuring device including its installation
R 40 exhaust gases from motorcycles
R 41 Noise emissions from motorcycles
R 42 front and rear safety devices
R 43 safety glazing materials
R 44 restraint systems for children in motor vehicles ("child restraint system")
R 45 headlight cleaning devices
R 46 Devices for indirect vision and their installation
R 47 exhaust from mopeds
R 48 Installation of lighting and light signal devices on motor vehicles
R 49 Emissions from compression-ignition engines and positive-ignition engines fueled with natural gas or LPG
R 50 lighting of motorcycles
R 51 Noise emissions from vehicles of classes M and N
R 52 buses with a small number of seats
R 53 Lighting / light signaling equipment for motorcycles
R 54 pneumatic tires for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R 55 Mechanical connection devices for vehicle combinations
R 56 headlights for mopeds
R 57 headlights for motorcycles
R 58 Devices for rear underrun protection and their attachment; rear underrun protection
R 59 replacement muffler systems
R 60 control devices for motorcycles / mopeds
R 61 Outside protruding parts in front of the cab rear wall of commercial vehicles
R 62 Protection against unauthorized use on motorcycles
R 63 Uniform conditions for the approval of vehicles of category L1 with regard to noise emissions
R 64 complete spare wheel, run-flat tire / run-flat system and tire pressure monitoring system
R 65 beacons for flashing lights
R 66 Strength of the body of buses
R 67 special equipment for vehicles (operated with liquid gas)
R 68 Measurement of the design-related maximum speed of vehicles
R 69 Rear identification of slowly moving vehicles
R 70 Rear marking of heavy and long vehicles
R 71 field of vision on agricultural tractors
R 72 halogen headlights for motorcycles (HS1 lamps)
R 73 side protection of trucks, trailers and semi-trailers
R 74 Installation of lighting equipment on mopeds
R 75 pneumatic tires for L-class vehicles
R 76 headlights for mopeds - high and low beam
R 77 parking lights for motor vehicles
R 78 brake systems for motorcycles
R 79 steering systems
R 80 seats in buses and coaches
R 81 rearview mirror of two-wheelers
R 82 halogen headlights for mopeds (HS2 lamps)
R 83 emissions from vehicles of classes M ₁ and N ₁
R 84 Measurement of fuel consumption in cars with internal combustion engines
R 85 Measurement of useful power
R 86 Attachment of the lighting / light signal devices to agricultural or forestry tractors
R 87 daytime running lights for motor vehicles
R 88 retroreflective tires for two-wheeled vehicles
R 89 speed limit devices
R 90 replacement brake lining units and replacement drum brake linings for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 91 side marker lights for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 92 Uniform conditions for the approval of non-original replacement silencer systems (NORESS) for vehicles of classes L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 with regard to noise emissions
R 93 Devices for the front underrun protection and their attachment; front underrun protection
R 94 Protection of occupants in the event of a frontal impact
R 95 Protection of occupants in the event of a side impact
R 96 diesel emissions from agricultural tractors
R 97 vehicle alarm systems
R 98 car headlights with gas discharge light sources
R 99 gas discharge light sources for approved gas discharge lighting units in motor vehicles
R 100 electrical safety
R 101 Measurement of CO ₂ and fuel consumption
R 102 close coupling device; Attachment of an approved type of close coupling device
R 103 replacement catalytic converters
R 104 Retroreflective markings on heavy and long vehicles
R 105 vehicles for the transport of dangerous goods
R 106 pneumatic tires for agricultural vehicles
R 107 vehicles of classes M ₂ and M ₃
R 108 Retreaded tires for motor vehicles and their trailers
R 109 Retreaded tires for commercial vehicles and their trailers
R 110 Special components for compressed natural gas
R 111 Tipping stability of tank trucks
R 112 Motor vehicle headlights for asymmetrical low beam and / or high beam, which are equipped with bulbs and / or LED modules
R 113 headlights - symmetrical light
R 114 replacement airbag systems
R 115 retrofit systems for liquid gas and natural gas
R 116 Securing motor vehicles against unauthorized use
R 117 tires - rolling noise emissions, grip on wet surfaces and rolling resistance (classes C1, C2 and C3)
R 118 Fire resistance of materials used in buses
R 119 turning light
R 120 net output of tractors as well as mobile machines and devices
R 121 Arrangement and labeling of manual controls, control lamps and indicators
R 122 heating systems for vehicles
R 123 Adaptive front lighting systems (AFS) for motor vehicles
R 124 retrofit wheels
R 125 field of vision of the driver to the front
R 126 separators
R 127 pedestrian protection
R 128 light-emitting diode light sources (LED light sources)
R 129 Improved child restraint systems
R 130 lane departure warning system
R 131 emergency braking assistance systems (AEBS)
R 132 Retrofit Emission Monitoring Devices (REC)
R 133 Recycling of motor vehicles
R 134 safety of hydrogen (hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles)
R 135 post side impact
R 136 motorcycles with electric drive
R 137 frontal impact with a focus on restraint systems
R 138 Low-noise road vehicles with regard to their reduced audibility
R 139 Brake Assist Systems (BAS)
R 140 electronic driving dynamics control system (ESC)
R 141 tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS)
R 142 assembly of tires
R 143 Retrofitting dual-fuel systems for engines in heavy commercial vehicles
R 144 Accident Emergency Call Systems (AECS)
R 145 anchorages for child restraint systems
R 146 hydrogen and fuel cell vehicles of the EC vehicle class L
R 147 Mechanical coupling components for combinations of agricultural vehicles
R 148 traffic lights
R 149 devices for road illumination
R 150 retro-reflective equipment

Source: UNECE Regulations in the area of vehicle approval.

Legal sources

(Note: only the original versions approved by UNECE are internationally legally binding)

EU version: OJ L 274, 11.10.2016, pp. 4–30 (Revision 3, German; EUR-Lex ).
Germany: In law revising the Convention of March 20, 1958 on the acceptance of uniform conditions for the approval of equipment and parts of motor vehicles and on the mutual recognition of the approval Federal Law Gazette 1997 II p. 998 ff (PDF file, 1.99 MB; original version of Federal Law Gazette 1965 II p. 857 ).
Austria: equipment, parts of motor vehicles - approval. Federal Law Gazette No. 177/1971 (translation, ris-bka)
Switzerland: SR 0.741.411 (translation, admin.ch ).

Web links

Links and documents to the text of the 1958 Agreement - Agreement concerning the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions (Rev.2) at www.unece.org (English).
The UNECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) , further information here , and its information page on Vehicle Regulations including FAQ page and the publication World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) - How It Works , How to Join It at www.unece.org (English) - publication can be downloaded as a PDF file (English, French, Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese).

European Union:

The European Commission on International technical harmonization and UNECE - Legislation in the field of automotive industry (English).
Translation of UNECE Regulations in the area of vehicle approval - Table listing all UNECE regulations that came into force for the EU (as of December 31, 2016) from May 3, 2017, with hyperlinks to the translations; in: ec.europa.eu of the European Commission (English; PDF file, 3.58 MB).

Germany:

Information on the entry into force of the Convention on the Acceptance of Uniform Conditions for the Approval of Equipment and Parts of Motor Vehicles (Motor Vehicles) and on the mutual recognition of approval in the Federal Republic of Germany on the basis of the Act on the Convention of March 20, 1958 on the Acceptance of Uniform Terms Conditions for the approval of the equipment and parts of motor vehicles and for the mutual recognition of the approval and in the German Democratic Republic, at juris.
UN regulations at the German Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure .

Individual evidence

↑ ZB Art. 1 of the EU version of the Convention, Rev. 3, 2016 (see legal sources ).

↑ Eg Art. 1 of the Swiss version of the Convention (see legal sources).

↑ ZB Status of the 1958 Agreement (and of the annexed regulations) ; in: www.unece.org . United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed September 5, 2017.

↑ ZB Regulation No. 138 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) - Uniform provisions for the approval of low-noise road vehicles with regard to their reduced audibility [2017/71] ; in: EUR-Lex , European Union, accessed on September 5, 2017.

↑ ZB No. 15 of Annex A Definitions 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 , done at Geneva on June 25, 1998 ; in: www.unece.org , United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed on September 5, 2017 (p. 18; English, French, Russian; PDF file, 2.73 MB).

↑ ZB Verkehr ( Memento of the original from September 5, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ; in: www.genf.diplo.de , Press and Public Relations Department of the Permanent Representation of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations Office and the other international organizations in Geneva, accessed on September 5, 2017. @1@ 2

^ ZB Status of the Agreement, of the annexed UN Regulations and of amendments - Revision 25 - Note by the secretariat , February 28, 2017; in: Status of the 1958 Agreement (and of the annexed regulations) ; in: www.unece.org . United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed September 5, 2017.
UN regulations ; in: www.bmvi.de , Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure , accessed on September 5, 2017.

↑ International harmonization of technical regulations for motor vehicles. (No longer available online.) Federal Ministry of Transport , archived from the original on June 27, 2014 ; Retrieved October 8, 2013 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.

↑ ^a ^b ^c Harmonization of admission requirements: Worldwide harmonization. Verband der Automobilindustrie, vda.de, undated (accessed December 16, 2019).

↑ ^a ^b UN Transport Agreements and Conventions .
Countries Parties to the 1958 Agreement ; in: Status of the Agreement, of the annexed UN Regulations and of amendments - Revision 25 - Note by the secretariat , February 28, 2017; in: Status of the 1958 Agreement (and of the annexed regulations) .
Both in: www.unece.org . United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed May 31, 2017.

↑ Decision 97/836 / EC of the Council of November 27, 1997 on the accession of the European Community to the Agreement of the Economic Commission for Europe of the United Nations on the adoption of uniform technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, items of equipment and parts installed in wheeled vehicles and / or can be used, and the conditions for the mutual recognition of authorizations issued under these Regulations ("Revised 1958 Convention") OJ L 346 of December 17, 1997, p. 78 (eur-lex).

↑ Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of July 13, 2009 on the type approval of motor vehicles, motor vehicle trailers and of systems, components and independent technical units for these vehicles with regard to their general safety. OJ L 200 of July 31, 2009, p. 1 (eur-lex)

↑ EU type approval. Verband der Automobilindustrie, vda.de, undated (accessed December 16, 2019).

↑ Art. 1 and Annex. 1 Composition and rules of procedure of the Administrative Committee of the EU version of the Convention (see legal sources ).

↑ Intergovernmental Structure of United Nations Inland Transport Legal Instruments and Activities serviced by UNECE Secretariat 2014 ; in: www.unece.org . United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed on May 31, 2017 (English; PDF file, 375.14 KB).

↑ Regulation (EC) No. 661/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 July 2009 on the type approval of motor vehicles, motor vehicle trailers and of systems, components and independent technical units for these vehicles with regard to their general safety in the consolidated version of 1 July 2016 (PDF; 570 KB), accessed on March 16, 2019

↑ UNECE Regulations in the area of vehicle approval ( English , PDF) UNECE. February 15, 2019. Retrieved March 17, 2019.

[Art_1_EU-1] ZB Art. 1 of the EU version of the Convention, Rev. 3, 2016 (see legal sources ).

[Art_1_CD-2] Eg Art. 1 of the Swiss version of the Convention (see legal sources).

[3] ZB Status of the 1958 Agreement (and of the annexed regulations) ; in: www.unece.org . United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed September 5, 2017.

[4] ZB Regulation No. 138 of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) - Uniform provisions for the approval of low-noise road vehicles with regard to their reduced audibility [2017/71] ; in: EUR-Lex , European Union, accessed on September 5, 2017.

[5] ZB No. 15 of Annex A Definitions 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 , done at Geneva on June 25, 1998 ; in: www.unece.org , United Nations Economic Commission for Europe , accessed on September 5, 2017 (p. 18; English, French, Russian; PDF file, 2.73 MB).