European automotive industry

The CARS 21 High Level Group has examined the major policy areas which impact the
competitiveness of the European automotive industry and has agreed on a number of
recommendations which aim to enhance the industry’s global competitiveness and
employment while sustaining further progress in safety and environmental performance at anprice affordable to the consumer. In the area of simplification the group recommends replacing 38 EC directives by UNECE. regulations and introducing self- or virtual testing for 25 directives and UNECE regulations. One directive is recommended for repeal. The group proposes a set of better regulation principles which should apply to the regulatory process in the automotive sector. The application of these should enable the legislator to improve the quality of regulations while minimising costs for economic operators. The group recommends that efforts to increase the international harmonisation of motor vehicle regulations should be maintained with a view to involving key vehicle markets and to extend harmonisation to areas not yet covered.

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