11. The expert from the United States of America informed GRSP that the IWG on Electric Vehicle Safety (EVS) was progressing in accordance to the terms of reference (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2012/121) under the leadership of co-sponsors: United States of America, European Union, China and Japan. He added that the IWG had made good progress at the recent fourth meeting held in Beijing (14-16 October 2013) and had updated the outline table of the draft UN GTR with the proposals submitted by Canada, China, Japan and the United States of America. He clarified that the proposals consisted of research items and timeline as candidates for the UN GTR. Moreover, he informed GRSP that the IWG had also reviewed a draft proposal tabled by the expert from OICA. He added that the IWG had discussed a new idea to establish subgroups to work on specific technical issues that the IWG had identified. He clarified that the subgroups would be expected to provide data and analysis/studies to support the requirements and recommendations to IWG. In the absence of one of the co-sponsors, this approach would be discussed further.

12. Concerning the road map for establishing the UN GTR, he confirmed that the options for completing the UN GTR work in two steps or a single step had been discussed at the November 2013 session of AC.3. At that meeting, the United States of America indicated that it would not accept a two-step approach based on Regulation No. 100, as it did not consider that Regulation to be science-based as required by the 1998 Agreement (see ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1106, para. 104). GRSP agreed to seek guidance from AC.3 on this issue at future sessions of AC.3 if necessary, pending the decision of the IWG on such guidance. Finally, he informed GRSP that the fifth EVS IWG meeting was scheduled in April 14-16, 2014, in Washington DC.