Background (extract from agenda):

• Vehicle combinations according to EMS system can already be accepted for international traffic, however different national requirements makes that difficult. The aim of the work should be to set a harmonized technical level so that countries that want to allow EMS vehicles can rely on harmonized technical requirements in the various regulation and not making national requirements.
• Other aims

• The chair presents GRRF informal document GRRF-76-29 and gives some background of EU 96/53 discussions, for information.
• Chair: the work now is not to find way to assess or to regulate combinations (as in the PBS approach), but to stick to the UNECE type approval approach addressing individual vehicles.
• Bolennarth Svensson (VBG and secretary of UN R55 informal group) agrees to make a status of the work of the Informal Group UN R55 on MVC, later during this meeting.
• Which regulation to be amended in our IG is a major question for this meeting: UN R13 and R55 and obviously affected.
• What about UN R79:
  • Looks not necessary for MAN.
  • Wabco raises the point of CLCCR proposal at GRRF around steering systems for trailers where electrical supply is provided by truck.
  • Chair raises the issue of dollies and steerable front axle of the dolly (required in Germany); an extensive discussion follows:
    • MAN: a dolly is a trailer
    • VBG: “turn table” mandatory in SWE, DK, NW, not steerable axle
    • NW: turn table is required due to risk of too high friction forces on the 5th wheel during winter time.
    • Many questions are raised:
      • Do we need to harmonize requirements on dollies?
      • Should a dolly be type approved to UN R79? Is it possible today?
      • What is a dolly: a centre-axle trailer, A device to convert a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (see CLEPA proposed definition GRRF-66-08), a tractor for semi-trailer?
    • DK believes a dolly is not a device to convert a semi-trailer into a full-trailer (unless it cannot be dismounted, but then the issue of what is a dolly remains, this approach is a dead-end)