66. The secretariat informed WP.29 about developments related to the establishment and hosting of DETA by UNECE. The Director of the UNECE Program Management Unit (PMU) informed the World Forum that, due to the upcoming budget cuts s, the establishment and hosting of DETA could not be financed from the UNECE biennial Regular Budget. The Director of the Sustainable Transport Division emphasized that the Division services 70 per cent of the meetings and produces 40 per cent of all parliamentary documents of UNECE. Therefore, it cannot absorb additional work within existing resources which have been further reduced in the 2016-2017 biennium.

67. The Director of PMU proposed an alternative option of submitting Programme Budgetary Implications (PBI) on the decision for establishing DETA under the UNECE auspices. She stated that the process would require patience and firm commitment from the Contracting Parties, since the decision-making process on budgetary issues is lengthy and depends on the Member States both in Geneva and New York.

69. The World Forum requested the Secretariat to share information on the PBI process in writing as it would be very useful for the capitals and reaching out to the delegates in New York.