World Forum for the Harmonization of Vehicle Regulations | Session 177 | 11-15 Mar 2019
Geneva
Agenda Item 4.5.
Development of an electronic database for the exchange of type approval documentation (DETA)

82. The representative of Germany, Chair of the IWG on Database for Exchange of Type Approval documentation (DETA), presented a status report (WP.29-177-11) of the activities of the group. He introduced WP.29-177-10 with the report of the last session of the group. He informed WP.29 about the expected extensions of DETA functionality for the: Declaration of Conformance (DoC), Unique Identifier (UI) and later Software Identification Number (RxSWIN). He asked the secretariat about the current status of the DETA financing through ECE regular budget.

83. The Secretary of WP.29 informed delegates that the ECE Executive Committee (EXCOM) had adopted the ECE budget proposal including DETA. He informed delegates on the following steps for the adoption of the budget in the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), the Fifth Committee and the General Assembly. He recommended that the member States and contracting parties inform their representations in New York of their position on DETA.

84. WP.29 thanked Germany for hosting the current version of DETA, as well as OICA and CITA for commissioning the development of DoC and UI. WP.29 welcomed the announcement that CLEPA would contribute to the financing of UI, together with ETRTO and OICA.

85. The representative of Germany, Chair of the IWG on DETA, introduced WP.29-177-12 and informed WP.29 that the official start-up of DETA was envisaged for 18 March 2019.

86. WP.29 requested that all Type Approval Authorities (TAA) of the contracting parties to the 1958 Agreement start using DETA, as soon as possible.

87. WP.29 recalled that, according to Article 3, paragraph 2 of the revised 1958 Agreement, contracting parties applying UN Regulations shall, by mutual recognition, accept for the placement in their markets, and subject to the provisions of Articles 1, 8 and 12 as well as any special provisions within these UN Regulations, type approvals granted pursuant to these UN Regulations, without requiring any further testing, documentation, certification or marking concerning these type approvals and that DETA was intended to facilitate the access of those contracting parties to the type approval documentation.

88. WP.29 agreed that only contracting parties of the 1958 Agreement could nominate a single DETA focal point to liaise with the DETA administrator. WP.29 agreed to decide on the case-by-case basis on further access to DETA upon availability of the further information provided by the IWG on DETA.

89. WP.29 agreed that the WP.29 Heads of Delegation of the contracting parties were requested to notify the ECE secretariat with their DETA focal point.

90. WP.29 agreed that, as the access rights to DETA would be given only to Type Approval Authority (TAA) for the very first stage of DETA implementation, they shall have access to the document parts uploaded to DETA subject to the access rights provided in annex to the report.

91. WP.29 decided that the use of DETA shall be subject to the formal engagement of the user to keep the information confidential to respect intellectual property related to the DETA documents.

92. WP.29 decided to request that the DETA focal point of each contracting party manage the access and users accounts of the said contracting party: access to DETA would be provided by the DETA administrator to a single focal point of the contracting party.

93. WP.29 decided that the DETA focal point shall submit to the DETA administrator a list (and further updates) with the names and the city and country of establishment of the manufacturers, for which it granted type approvals to be uploaded to DETA.

94. WP.29 noted that the effectiveness of DETA would depend on the number of type approval documents it contains. Therefore WP.29 noted the importance of uploading to DETA not only currently issued communications on type approvals but also, on a voluntary basis, those issued before launching DETA. The representative of Germany announced that batch upload functionality would be made available by 2020.

94. WP.29 decided to specify that the communications on type approvals shall be uploaded to DETA as three or four separate pdf files: a communication on type approval (“CERT”), an information document (“IF”), a test report (“TR”), and additional documents (“OTHER”) if appropriate, with the access rights specified in the table annexed to the report.

96. WP.29 noted that the uploading process was explained in the draft DETA manual.

97. The representative of OICA explained the importance of reviewing at a later stage the access rights, subject to agreement byWP.29, after proper discussion at the IWG on DETA on the extension of access rights reflecting all real-world needs related to Type Approvals of the industry, of all Contracting Parties and of other countries.

98. WP.29 decided on the detailed access rights as noted in annex V of the session report. WP.29 would revisit the matter at its June 2019 session, if necessary.

99. WP.29 agreed with the extension by two years of the IWG on DETA mandate.

Documentation
WP.29-177-10 Draft report of the 34th DETA informal group session
WP.29-177-11 Report of the DETA informal group to the March 2019 WP.29 session
WP.29-177-12 DETA official start and application: Drafting WP.29 decisions