62. The secretariat updated WP.29 about developments in the hosting of DETA by UNECE and the related discussion of the UNECE Executive Committee (EXCOM) related to financing of DETA (WP.29-172-09).

63. The Chair of GRE reiterated the urgency to have DETA with the Unique Identifier (UI) functions for the ongoing process of simplification of the lighting and light-signalling Regulations, under which around thirty current Regulations would be grouped into three new ones, each covering many devices. The representative of GTB, in his capacity of Secretary of IWG on SLR, pointed out that the new Regulations would keep the traditional approval markings as a fall-back solution, should DETA and UI not be available. However, the traditional markings would not be practical (see also para. 36).

64. The secretariat presented the draft report of the twenty-ninth session of the IWG on DETA (WP.29-172-23).

65. WP.29, noting the absence of a regular budget for DETA, agreed to recommend to EXCOM that an extra budgetary project should be established in order to permit the secretariat to purchase DETA and to cover the running costs of DETA until 2020, while awaiting the solution of EXCOM to sustainably finance DETA. WP.29 (a) welcomed the effort of the automotive industry which was conditionally willing to contribute to the extraordinary costs of the programming of the “Unique Identifier” once DETA has been established and (b) noted that an extra budgetary project should be proposed to EXCOM for financing the Unique Identifier and the modifications of DETA related to IWVTA and the Declaration of Conformance (DoC). WP.29 reflected and agreed to defer decision to the November 2017 session on the proposal to open the use of DETA not only to Contracting Parties of the 1958 Agreements exchanging type approval documentation according to UN Regulations, but also to any member State and their documentation according to their compliance systems, provided that the appropriate access rights are defined.

66. The representative of the United Kingdom stated that countries would probably be willing to pay a fair share of the costs of DETA. The Chair of WP.29 invited delegations to verify the willingness of their country to contribute to the budget of DETA. WP.29 requested that the UNECE Executive Secretary send a letter to the Contracting Parties providing information on the costs related to DETA, the administrative provisions of extrabudgetary projects, and call for donations.

67. The representative of Germany confirmed that the testing version of DETA installed in Germany was not suitable as an interim solution, and wondered about the implications of DETA not being operational at the time of entry into force of the Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement. The representative of OICA responded that application of the Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement would not be formally blocked by the absence of DETA.