9. The expert from GTB, in his capacity of Secretary of IWG SLR, reported on the progress of IWG SLR and a new phased approach to simplification of the lighting and light-signalling Regulations developed by IWG SLR (GRE-75-05). The proposed approach would include the following major steps:
a) Review and adoption of pending amendment proposals to consolidate the existing Regulations;
b) Freeze of the existing Regulations which would be superseded by three new Regulations (see point c) below);
c) Establishment of three new Regulations on road illumination devices, light-signalling devices and retro-reflective devices based on the text of existing Regulations;
d) Further amendment of the new Regulations and Regulation No. 48 to introduce technologically neutral and performance-based requirements.
10. According to IWG SLR, the proposed approach would not only simplify the Regulations and provide legal certainty, but would also remove unnecessary barriers to innovations and promote worldwide application of lighting and light-signalling Regulations, for example, through the development of GTRs in this area and/or more countries joining the 1958 Agreement.
11. A vast majority of GRE experts expressed their support to the proposed approach and activities of IWG SLR. The expert from Germany reserved his position. The experts of Japan and OICA stressed the need to find a way to introduce new technologies, should they emerge during a transition period between the freeze of the current Regulations and the entry into force of the three new ones. The experts from Belgium and UK were of the view that the United Nations Office for Legal Affairs (OLA) should be requested to provide guidance on the approach. The Chair invited experts to submit further comments, if any, before 29 July 2016.
12. To seek the consent of WP.29 on the proposed concept, GRE requested the Chair to present it at the June 2016 meeting of the World Forum as well as to ask WP.29 to extend the mandate of IWG SLR. GRE also took note of a list of pending proposals, which had been referred to IWG SLR in 2014-2015 (GRE-75-06), and decided to consider them at the next session under agenda item “Pending proposals”.