18. The experts from Germany and OICA proposed to define and describe the operation of the external status indicator for vehicle alarm systems, alarm systems and immobilizers, as contained in Regulations Nos. 97 and 116 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2016/33 and GRE-76-17). Some experts raised technical concerns about the size and colour of the external indicator as well as legal doubts on whether Regulation No. 48 could include provisions on devices which do not fall into its scope. GRE agreed to revert to this issue at the next session and invited the authors to prepare a revised proposal.
19. The expert from Spain invited GRE to provide guidance on the possible use of a rear registration plate the digits of which emit the light themselves by means of light-emitting diodes (LED) (GRE-76-12). He recalled that this issue had been already raised in 2004, when GRE agreed that such a light-emitting rear registration plate was not a lamp and, therefore, did not fall within the scope of Regulation No. 48. GRE reconfirmed its position of 2004 and was of the view that requests for application of such light-emitting rear registration plates should be addressed under the national legislation of Contracting Parties. In this context, the experts from Italy and the Netherlands pointed out that light-emitting rear registration plates are prohibited in their countries.
20. Due to lack of time, GRE agreed to postpone consideration of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2016/24 to the next session.