EFV International Meeting

January 24, 2003

Policy Bureau,
International Planning division
the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure and Transport

TEL 81-3-5253-8313

BACKGROUND
The Ministerial Conference on Transport, held on January 15 and 16, 2002, in Tokyo, announced a Ministerial Statement on Comprehensive Strategy for Environmentally Friendly Vehicles. Therein it was noted that it was important to hold an International Meeting on EFVs (the EFV International Meeting) to discuss possible solutions based on the knowledge of existing and future vehicle technologies and the availability of different types of fuels, and to explore the possibility of international coordination of policy to facilitate the development and dissemination of EFVs.
DATE, PLACE, HOST

　　DATE
January 23-24, 2003
　　PLACE
Akasaka Prince Hotel, Tokyo, Japan
　　HOST
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT), Japan
　　PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS
Australia, Canada, China, EU (European Commission, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, U.K.), Japan, Republic of Korea, Singapore, U.S.A., UN/ECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulation (WP29), OECD, ADB (The Asian Development Bank)
AGENDA
- Overviews of current status of environmental problems in the transport sector and counter measures, etc.
- The concept of the next-generation EFVs
- Measures to facilitate the development and practical use of the next-generation EFVs
- Dissemination of EFVs already in commercial production
- Promotion of international harmonization of regulations
- Measures to support the dissemination of EFVs in developing countries
- Future course of international action for the development and dissemination of EFVs in conjunction with existing programs and mechanisms
- Chair’s Statement

Chair’s Statement
EFV International Meeting
Tokyo, Japan, January 23－24, 2003

The International Meeting on Environmentally Friendly Vehicles (EFV International Meeting) hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport of Japan in cooperation with the Ministry of the Environment of Japan was held in Tokyo, Japan, on January 23 and 24, 2003. The meeting was attended by 19 delegations headed by officials from major motor vehicle manufacturing and utilizing countries and international organizations. The meeting was chaired by Mr. Maruyama, and the delegates held comprehensive and fruitful discussions on EFV-related subjects.
This meeting was organized in the context of the Ministerial Conference on Transport, held on January 15 and 16, 2002, in Tokyo, during which a Ministerial Statement on Comprehensive Strategy for Environmentally Friendly Vehicles was announced. Ministers noted that it was important to hold an International Meeting on EFVs to discuss possible solutions based on the knowledge of existing and future vehicle technologies and the availability of different type of fuels, and to explore the possibility of international coordination of policy to facilitate the development and dissemination of EFVs. It was also noted that the Plan of Implementation, which was adopted at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) held in Johannesburg, the Republic of South Africa, from August 26 to September 2, 2002, touched upon the importance of the development and dissemination of safe, environmentally sound, affordable and socially acceptable vehicle technologies.
The objective of the 2003 EFV International Meeting was to discuss issues associated with EFVs. To this end, this meeting was designed to provide an opportunity for international collaboration through the exchange of information and views among participants concerning policies related to the development and dissemination of EFVs.
We exchanged information regarding environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change, traffic noise pollution, traffic congestion, and the efforts in countries and regions to address them. Delegates discussed what the overall prospects would be for the technical development and dissemination of EFVs including fuel cell motor vehicles, how the concept of next-generation EFVs could be defined for their promotion, and the importance of clean fuels to the successful introduction of EFVs. Steps that are and could be taken to facilitate the development and dissemination process, such as financial and/or tax incentives, accelerated and coordinated research programs, and consumer awareness programs, were also presented. It was noted that by adopting ‘eco-driving’ styles, drivers could significantly reduce their fuel consumption. In this context it was recognized that in-car devices such as displays for actual fuel consumption, as well as gear selection and cruise control could be important.
As part of the discussion, delegates recognized the important role of the UN/ECE World Forum for Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations (Working Party 29) in this area and stressed the need to take advantage of the expertise and ongoing work of the Forum. Delegates reiterated the need to “carefully avoid any overlap and duplication of issues” with already existing mechanisms as expressed in the abovementioned Ministerial Statement on Comprehensive Strategy for Environmentally Friendly Vehicles.
It was also recognized that voluntary partnerships among stakeholders from the automotive, fuel, energy, and other relevant fields are critical in facilitating the technical development and dissemination of EFVs.
In some markets of developing countries, fuel still contains lead or relatively high levels of sulfur. We should encourage cooperation and commitment at the international level in order to facilitate the introduction of clean fuels and vehicles. It was recognized that improved fuel quality in these markets is a first major step to improving vehicle emissions and is necessary for the introduction of EFVs. The Clean Fuels and Vehicles Partnership announced at WSSD is one example of a determination to address this issue. It was also recognized that technical assistance and options for regulatory approaches are desirable.
We discussed challenging and ambitious development targets for next-generation EFVs with a view towards significantly reduced emissions of air pollutants and greenhouse gases, irrespective of power train system and type of fuel, so that manufacturers may have flexibility in developing technologies and utilizing fuels. It was noted that the setting of targets would be a political decision to be agreed at national, regional or global level as appropriate. A common vision and clear development objectives established by governments and other stakeholders from a medium and long term standpoint will send out a strong message to the market, which will sustain the health of the industry and help to maintain the momentum of innovation and the rollout of new technology, and accelerate the introduction of the next generation of EFVs. It was recognized that the work of the UN ECE Working Party 29 could be used as the basis for benchmarking the environmental performance of vehicle technologies.
It is important that we undertake information exchange on a number of issues, including future governmental actions promoting technical development and dissemination of EFVs and research and development of new environmentally friendly technologies that are in the public domain.