165. The representative of Japan, as technical sponsor for these activities, reported on the progress of work of the IWG on Phase 2 of UN GTR No.7 on head restraints. He stated that Chair of the IWG had informed AC.3 of his intention to restart activity at the 2018 June session of WP.29. He recalled that working document on GTR No.7 phase 2 activity had been submitted to the last GRSP session in December 2018. He further noted that informal document containing a proposal to remove the square brackets that remained in that working document had been jointly prepared by Germany, the Netherlands and Japan. The representative if Japan explained that, in parallel, a proposal to amend UN Regulation No.17 in line with GTR No.7, Phase 2 had been jointly prepared by Japan and the European Commission. CLEPA had also submitted their proposals for injury criteria and the static test method. He added that GRSP had discussed the remaining items and had decided to continue discussing these points in the IWG until the next GRSP session in May 2019.

166. The representative of Japan highlighted that a working document for the next GRSP in May 2019, which took CLEPA comments into consideration, had already been prepared, retaining the square brackets on the injury criteria intended for discussion at the IWG. The IWG, at its next meeting, would prepare another informal document containing a proposal for injury criteria supported by the group and would remove the square brackets that remained in the working documents that had been prepared for the next GRSP.