03/02/2000 (Agence Europe) - The EU Council has decided the European Community's adherence to an international agreement on the technical regulations applicable to wheeled vehicles. This agreement, negotiated under the UN-ECE, is commonly called a "parallel agreement" as it will apply in parallel with a 1958 UN-ECE agreement (being revised in the meantime) already providing for international technical harmonisation of wheeled vehicles. Several of the world's important markets and/or manufacturers of cars, such as the United States, are not signatories to the 1958 agreement. The main objective of the parallel agreement is to enable them to participate in the international harmonisation. Contracting parties can jointly develop global technical regulations on the safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency and anti-theft performance of wheeled vehicles.