L 35/12 Official Journal of the European Communities 10. 2. 2000 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 31 January 2000 concerning the conclusion of the Agreement concerning the establishing of global technical regula- tions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles (‘Parallel Agreement’) (2000/125EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and in particular Articles 95 and 133 thereof, in conjunction with Article 300(2), first sentence, and Article 300(3) second subparagraph thereof; Having regard to the proposal by the Commission (*); Having received the assent of the European Parliament (); Whereas: 1) In its Decision of 3 November 1997, the Council authorised the Commission to negotiate in the frame- work of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNJECE) an Agreement concerning the estab- lishing of global technical regulations for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles (Parallel Agreement)). As a result of those negotiations, on 25 June 1998 the Parallel Agreement was opened for signature; the Community signed that Agreement on 18 October 1999. International harmonisation in the automotive sector is already taking place in the framework of the 1958 UN/ECE Revised Agreement concerning the adoption of uniform technical prescriptions for wheeled vehicles, equipment and parts which can be fitted and/or be used on wheeled vehicles and the conditions for reciprocal recognition of approvals granted on the basis of these prescriptions (the 1958 Agreement), to which the Community became a Contracting Party on 24 March 1998. () O] C 87, 29.3.1999, p. 1. (3 Opinion delivered on 15 December 1999 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (4) Conclusion of the Parallel Agreement constitutes an aim of common trade policy in accordance with Article 133 of the Treaty to remove existing and avoid the creation of new technical barriers to trade in motor vehicles between the Contracting Parties; involvement by the Community will ensure consistency between the harmo- nisation activites conducted under both the 1958 Agree- ment and the Parallel Agreement and will thus permit easier access to third-country markets. Conclusion of the Parallel Agreement by the Community establishes a specific institutinal framework by orga- nising cooperation procedures between Contracting Parties; the assent of the European Parliament is there- fore required. It is necessary to establish practical arrangements with regard to the involvement of the Community in the Parallel Agreement. The Commission should be responsible for meeting all the notification requirements laid down in the Parallel Agreement; the Parallel Agreement is to operate in parallel with the 1958 Agreement; both Agreements will operate in the framework of the UNJECE and use the same Working Parties and facilities installed in that framework. The Parallel Agreement creates a framework to establish global technical regulations in the global registry by consensus vote; due to the operating in parallel of the two Agreements, draft technical regulations emerging from the Working Groups will in principle be voted in the bodies under both Agreements; for the 1958 Agree- ment a decision-making procedure has been established; the Community vote concerning the Parallel Agreement can therefore be decided upon under the same proce- dure on the same occasion as for the 1958 Agreement.