152. The representative of OICA introduced WP.29-171-15, Proposal to amend Special Resolution 2 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2016/65). He stated that OICA, representing the global auto industry, had re-confirmed its strong support for Special Resolution 2 as an important step towards an improved functioning of the 1998 Agreement.

153. He noted that WP.29-171-15 had taken into account comments made at the March 2016 AC.3 session. He added that further work could clarify the concepts of “alternatives”, “modules”, and “options”. He emphasized the position of OICA that such clarification would constitute a further improvement and that it would help in the development of new or amended global technical regulations.

154. The representative of the United States of America pointed out that the system of “alternatives” is not covered by the original text of S.R.2. He further mentioned that the “modules” are used for cases where only parts of the UN GTR would be subject to application by a national authority as it is the case, e.g. in the UN GTR No.16 on tyres with the safety related parts like wet-grip and the environmental related part on rolling-noise.

155. The representative of the European Union did not see the need for the proposed annex to the text of the S.R.2 and recommended to limit the text as much as possible in order not to encourage the further use of “options” in the UN GTRs.

156. AC.3 underlined the importance of the notification system underlined by item 3 © of S.R.2 and the general objective of achieving the maximum level of incorporation of the UN GTRs into domestic legislation. Furthermore, the current use of the notification system by Contracting Parties is not deemed sufficient to provide transparency to all stakeholders on the implementation of the different UN GTRs into domestic legislation.

157. The Chair proposed to keep this item on the agenda for the upcoming meeting in November 2017, possibly based on a revised version of WP.29-171-15.