International Mechanisms For Achieving Optimal Harmonization Of Standards And Regulations: An Overview Of Their Effectiveness

The need to increase worldwide agreement on standards and regulations for road vehicles is recognized by the automotive industry as a means to facilitate market expansion, by users of road vehicles as a means to facilitate product comparison and operational convenience, and complicated by the need for governments to specify regulatory requirements for safety and environmental needs. The major mechanisms operating to lead the way toward international harmonization have been successful, up to a point, but both manufacturers and consumers feel that more international harmonization could and should be realized; future progress could be accelerated if a worldwide political will is developed by which a confidence is built in the automotive industry to regulate itself through adherence to international standards and by which governments will agree to limit their regulations to essential requirements.