On 3rd March this year Belarus will become a Contracting Party to the 1998 Agreement on Global Vehicle Regulations, an agreement which is the legal framework for the development of global technical regulations for vehicles and their components, with the aim of increasing their active and passive safety, reducing emissions and improving security (anti-theft) performance.

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It is well-known by now that the UK does not have a seat on the World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) as the EU speaks for all member states, transport (in all its forms) now being an EU competence.

While on the subject of WP.29, it is noticed that their ‘reach’ into vehicle standards is to be ‘enlarged’ as they are now going to investigate the area covering vehicle interior air quality.

Interestingly it is noted that this study is due for completion by June 2017 – just in time for our promised referendum on EU membership – but then again the ability to have a direct voice in vehicle standards, as it will in various other areas, will pass all and sundry by.