Q&A informational document on the new version of the 1958 Agreement, prepared by the informal working group on IWVTA.

65. WP.29 welcomed the draft of the Q&A document on Revision 3 submitted by the IWG on IWVTA. The World Forum agreed to resume consideration of this subject at its next session in March 2017and requested the secretariat to circulate WP.29-170-21 with an official symbol.

Document prepared by the WP.29 secretariat to provide a consolidated updated version of the proposed Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement. The secretariat anticipates a decision by the World Forum to seek unanimous agreement on this proposed final text during its March 2016 session.

123. The representative of the EU, on behalf of the Chair of the IWG on Environmental and Propulsion Performance Requirements (EPPR) for L-category vehicles, summarized the work progress of the group. He noted that progress had been made in two of the three priority subjects identified. He announced that EPPR IWG had submitted ECE/TRANS/GRPE/2016/2 on a new UN GTR on evaporative and crankcase emissions for consideration at the next GRPE session in January 2016. He added that this proposal would be submitted to the June 2016 session of AC.3, if adopted by GRPE in January 2016. He underlined that the IWG was already working on a new UN GTR on On-Board Diagnostics systems (OBD) with the intention to submit a first daft at the next GRPE session. He informed AC.3 that work on revising UN GTR No.2 would be resumed in 2016. He recalled the agreement by AC.3 at its last session with the extension of the mandate of the EPPR IWG until December 2020 as reproduced in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/113.

124. The representative of EU announced that Mr. P. Åsman would step down as Chair of EPPR IWG as of 18 November 2015. He expressed his gratitude to Mr. Åsman for his commitment and excellent work. He informed AC.3 that Mr. A. Perujo from the Joint Research Centre would be the candidate to replace Mr. Åsman.

125. The representative of IMMA expressed her support for the updated mandate and welcomed Mr. Perujo as the new Chair of EPPR IWG. She thanked Mr. Åsman for the excellent work done and assured AC.3 that IMMA would continue to support the work of EPPR IWG. She recalled the priority on two-wheeled vehicles, whereas progressively other vehicles categories could be considered to be included.

126. AC.3 adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/113 and requested the secretariat to convert it into an official AC.3 document.

48. The World Forum noted the final version ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/2 of draft Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement, including the comments received by Ukraine and the four-fifth voting majority threshold as agreed upon by WP.29 at its previous session.

49. The representative of EU informed WP.29 delegates that the document had already received positive feedback from the European Council and that EU Member States were currently in the process of consultation for consent on draft Revision 3 at the level of the European Parliament. He announced that he would provide more detailed information on a possible common position at the next sessions of WP.29.

50. The representative of Germany recalled his position at the recent meeting of the IWG on IWVTA and clarified that his Government had not been in the position to support that document. He expressed their preference to strengthen, due the recent incidents of non-compliant vehicles and approvals, the provisions of the type approval procedure to avoid possible future conflicts. He added that Germany had nevertheless to follow the EU decision as a result of the qualified majority voting in favour of draft Revision 3 as reproduced in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/2.

51. The Representative of the Russian Federation informed WP.29 that from 1 January 2016 the Eurasian Economic Union used a system of the vehicle type approval for all categories and plans to start development of an electronic database.

52. The World Forum agreed to resume consideration on this subject at its forthcoming session in June 2016.

48. The representative of EU informed WP.29 that following the decision by the European Council the EU was ready to endorse the text of draft Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement as reflected in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/2. The representative of Australia stated that following notification by the UN Office for Legal Affairs (OLA), internal proceedings must be followed and he was hopeful to receive a positive outcome in the following six months.

49. The World Forum welcomed the good news and noted no objection from the represented Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement. Recalling the offer by EU at a former session of WP.29 (report ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1112, para. 13), WP.29 invited the representative of EU to proceed with the notification process to OLA on Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement.

29. GRB was informed that WP.29, at its June 2016 session, had noted no objection to Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement from the Contracting Parties and that the European Union had offered to formally transmit the revised Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/2) to the United Nations Office for Legal Affairs (OLA). The secretariat also briefed GRB on the recent activities of the Subgroup on UN Regulation No. 0 on IWVTA and about the development of an electronic database for the exchange of type approval documentation (DETA).

64. The World Forum welcomed the information by the representative of EU that the notification to the United Nations Secretary-General on Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement had recently been sent out by the EU President. The secretariat informed the World Forum that the process for the entry into force of Revision 3 would take another nine months.

63. The secretariat informed the World Forum that Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement was expected to enter into force in mid-September 2017.

34. GRE noted that Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/2) had entered into force on 14 September 2017 and that a special webpage had been created by the secretariat with the text of the revised Agreement and frequently asked questions (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/131). GRE was informed that the IWG on the International Whole Vehicle Type Approval (IWVTA) had submitted the final draft of UN Regulation No. 0 and explanations on IWVTA for consideration and approval at the November 2017 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/108 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2017/109). GRE also took note that, following the adoption in June 2017 of amendments to Regulation No. 48, IWG IWVTA would consider the need to keep in Annex 4 to UN Regulation No. 0 references to the individual Regulations on lighting and light-signalling devices.