137. As technical sponsor for this work, the representative of the European Union reported on the Phase 1b and Phase 2 activities addressing left-overs from Phase 1 and adding testing provisions for In Service Conformity, Conformity of Production, On Board Diagnosis, durability, low temperature tests and electrified vehicles carried out by the IWG on WLTP under GRPE. He explained that some of the task forces carrying out activities of the IWG suffered from a lack of necessary resources, which resulted in some task forces starting activities later than initially foreseen, and others in standby. As a result, the IWG on WLTP will ask for an extension of at least one year. The period of the requested extension would be determined at the GRPE session in January 2018.

138. The representative of the European Union requested assistance from the contracting parties in overcoming the lack of resources, noting that the problem of insufficient manpower was not trivial and could bring, if not properly addressed by all Contracting Parties, to the necessity of a revision of what is actually achievable in WLTP Phase 2.

139. The representative of Japan, Co-Chair of the IWG on WLTP, stated their commitment to the work of the IWG and echoed the request of the representative of the EU concerning assistance form Contracting Parties to overcome the lack of resources that was hampering the work of the group.