CITA Webinar Explores the Institutional Framework Behind Global Vehicle Regulations
Friday – 3 July 2026, CITA hosted an exclusive webinar for its members entitled “Institutional Framework for Vehicle Regulations”, providing participants with a comprehensive overview of the international and European regulatory systems that shape vehicle legislation and roadworthiness requirements. The webinar was moderated by Eduard Fernández, Executive Director of CITA, and Alejandro Checa, Technical Director of CITA.
As vehicle technologies evolve rapidly and regulations become increasingly interconnected at international level, understanding how regulatory decisions are developed has become essential for vehicle approval authorities, inspection organisations, policymakers and other stakeholders. The webinar aimed to strengthen participants’ knowledge of the institutional processes behind vehicle regulations and to clarify how the United Nations (UN) and the European Union (EU) work together to create harmonised regulatory frameworks.
Alejandro Checa opened the technical programme with an overview of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) regulatory framework and the central role of World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (WP.29) in developing internationally harmonised vehicle requirements. Participants were introduced to the structure of WP.29, its Global Regulatory Bodies (GRs), Informal Working Groups (IWGs), and the collaborative process through which technical regulations are developed.
The presentation also explained the three major international agreements that underpin global vehicle regulation:
- The 1958 Geneva Agreement, establishing the international type approval system based on UN Regulations and the mutual recognition of approvals;
- The 1997 Vienna Agreement, dedicated to harmonised Periodical Technical Inspection (PTI) procedures and the mutual recognition of inspection certificates;
- The 1998 Geneva Agreement, which enables the development of Global Technical Regulations (GTRs) without requiring mutual recognition of approvals, facilitating worldwide regulatory harmonisation.
Special attention was given to the distinction between UN Regulations, UN Rules, and Global Technical Regulations (GTRs), helping participants better understand how each legal instrument contributes to vehicle safety, environmental performance and roadworthiness throughout the vehicle lifecycle.
In the second part of the webinar, Eduard Fernández presented the European Union institutional framework, explaining how vehicle legislation is developed, negotiated and implemented within the EU.
The session introduced the different types of EU legal acts—including Regulations, Directives, Implementing Acts and Delegated Acts—highlighting their respective legal effects and illustrating them with practical examples from vehicle type approval and roadworthiness legislation.
Participants also gained insight into the strategic and legislative roles of the European Council, European Commission, European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union, together with the ordinary legislative procedure and the trilogue negotiations that ultimately shape European legislation. The presentation concluded with practical guidance on using key EU resources such as EUR-Lex and the Have Your Say consultation portal, enabling stakeholders to follow legislative developments and contribute to public consultations.
The webinar highlighted the close relationship between international and European regulatory frameworks and demonstrated how decisions taken within UNECE and the European Union ultimately influence vehicle approval, roadworthiness testing, environmental performance and emerging technologies such as automated and connected vehicles.