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.