Working Party on Brakes and Running Gear | Session 81 | 1-5 Feb 2016
Geneva
Agenda Item 4.
Regulation No. 55 (Mechanical couplings)

16. The expert from CLEPA, Secretary of the IWG on Regulation No. 55 presented GRRF-81-08 with a proposal for a work plan for the finalisation of the work as the mandate of the group was about to terminate. GRRF endorsed the work plan proposed in GRRF-81-08.

17. The expert from CLEPA also presented GRRF-81-06, proposing amendments to Regulation No. 55 in the case of Multiple Vehicle Combinations. GRRF as well as the IWG on MVC supported in principle the proposal and requested that the IWG on Regulation No. 55 prepares an official document for consideration at the next GRRF session.

18. The expert from CLEPA introduced GRRF-81-07, proposing the procedure to identify allowable combinations of performance values Dc and V for drawbar coupling equipment. The expert from the UK noted that an editorial correction would be needed in paragraph 4.1.1. and proposed to assist the Secretary of the IWG to prepare an official document for consideration at the next GRRF session.

19. The expert from Germany introduced GRRF-81-09 proposing ToR for a new IWG on Agricultural Coupling that would remove the Agricultural Coupling provisions from Regulation No. 55 and would include them in a new Regulation. The proposal received some comments to limit the number of classes, as reproduced in GRRF-81-09-Rev.1. GRRF agreed with the proposal for a new IWG that would take into consideration the work done by the Task Force on Agricultural Couplings (GRRF-81-10). GRRF agreed in principle with the proposal of the expert from Spain proposing generic provisions to be defined, which could be used for the approval of specific agricultural coupling at the national level. The secretariat noted that GRRF-81-10 was based on a former version of Regulation No. 55 and proposed that the new IWG on Agricultural Coupling would take into consideration the latest version of Regulation No. 55. GRRF agreed that the expert from Germany would chair the IWG and that the expert from the Comité Européen des groupements de constructeurs du machinisme agricole (CEMA) would provide the secretariat of the group. GRRF requested that the IWG would first revise and clarify the ToR of the group.

20. The expert from EC recalled the purpose of GRRF-80-29 aimed at addressing the situation in which coupling balls would be installed right in front of registration plates or rear fog lamps. The proposal received some comments, related to the restriction on the use of a release key in paragraph 1.1.4., and he drafted a revised proposal as reproduced in GRRF-81-34. GRRF adopted the proposal as reproduced in Annex II of this report and requested the secretariat to submit it to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration at their June 2016 sessions, as Supplement 6 to the 01 series of amendments to Regulation No. 55.

Documentation
GRRF-80-29 Proposal for a Supplement to the 01 series of amendments to Regulation No. 55 (EC)
GRRF-81-06 Proposal for amendments to Regulation No. 55
GRRF-81-06 Proposal for amendments to Regulation No. 55
GRRF-81-07 Proposal for amendments to the informal document GRRF-81-06
GRRF-81-08 Informal working group on UN Regulation No. 55: Finalization plans
GRRF-81-09 Proposal to establish an Informal Working Group on Mechanical Couplings for Agricultural Vehicles (Germany)
GRRF-81-09/Rev.1 Revised proposal to establish an IWG on Mechanical Couplings for Agricultural Vehicles (Germany and Netherlands)
GRRF-81-10 Proposal for a new UN Regulation No. 55-A concerning agricultural vehicle couplings (Germany)
GRRF-81-10 Proposal for a new UN Regulation No. 55-A concerning agricultural vehicle couplings (Germany)
GRRF-81-34 Proposal for a Supplement to the 01 series of amendments to Regulation No. 55 (EC)