18. The expert from ETRTO reported that, in 2020-2021, the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) would be phasing out the Standard Reference Test Tyre SRTT14 (ASTM E1136) which was referenced in UN Regulations Nos. 108 and 117 (GRBP-71-06). Therefore, these references would need to be replaced by SRTT16 (ASTM F2493) tyre, and the test procedure should be amended accordingly. The Chair invited ETRTO to submit an official document with draft amendments to UN Regulation No. 117 for consideration at the next session. The expert from BIPAVER volunteered to cooperate with ETRTO with the aim to prepare similar amendments to UN Regulation No. 108.

19. On behalf of the Group Of Interested Experts on snow tyre provisions (GOIE), the expert from Germany reported on their progress (GRBP-71-20). In particular, he proposed establishing a new task force on studded tyres with the objective to draft a new UN Regulation on the approval of studded tyres regarding their snow performance. GRBP endorsed this proposal and noted that the duties of the Chair and Secretary of the task force would be performed by the experts from Finland and ETRTO, respectively.

20. With additional explanations of GOIE (GRBP-71-26), GRBP resumed discussion on the new class of special use tyres intended for use under severe snow conditions (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2019/14). GRBP noted that the proposed new class would provide for better road safety characteristics under severe snow conditions, but with a small increase in the rolling noise. The experts from Germany, Netherlands and Russian Federation supported the proposal. The expert from EC was not in position to agree to the proposal, due to the envisaged higher noise limits which would require modifications of European Union legislation. GRBP decided to revert to this issue at the next session.

21. The expert from Japan introduced an amendment which addressed unique light trucks available on the Japanese market (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRVA/2020/6). The expert of ETRTO proposed a slight modification (GRBP-71-29). GRBP adopted the proposal, as contained in Annex VII, and requested the secretariat to submit it to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration and vote at their June 2020 sessions Supplement 12 to the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117.

22. The expert from France, Chair of the IWG on Wet Grip Performance of Tyres in a Worn State (IWG WGWT), reported on their progress (GRBP-71-23). She pointed out that the IWG WGWT objectives were to present an informal document to the seventy-second session of GRBP in September 2020 and to submit a formal paper to the seventy-third session of GRBP in January 2021.