34. GRE took note of the first activities of the Special Interest Group (SIG) on park conditions and an answer-back signal (GRE-85-28). The expert from OICA raised a number of concerns and questions on the issue (GRE-85-31). GRE invited the SIG Co-Chairs (Finland and the Netherlands) to convene additional meetings of SIG with the aim to prepare a proposal for the next session of GRE.

28. The expert from Japan presented a draft new series of amendments that introduces park conditions and an answer-back signal in the scope of UN Regulation No. 48 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRE/2021/2, GRE-84-29 and GRE-84-30). The expert from OICA posed questions on the proposal (GRE-84-33) and the experts from Japan provided their replies (GRE-84-34). Several experts made further remarks on the functionalities of answer-back signals and the proposed selection of lamps for such signals.

29. The Chair concluded that the proposal would need fine-tuning. To make progress and prepare a revised proposal for the next session, GRE agreed to establish a Special Interest Group (SIG) on these topics, which would be co-chaired by the experts from Finland and the Netherlands while OICA would act as Secretary. GRE noted that the first meeting of SIG was planned to take place on 7 June 2021.

35. GRE noted GRE-83-45 submitted by the experts from Japan and invited them to submit an official document to the next session. In the interim, the Chair suggested that IWG SLR should also consider this proposal.