14. GRB agreed to defer discussion on this agenda item to its February 2012 session, awaiting a concrete proposal from the expert of the Netherlands to harmonize the terminology used in the Regulations concerned.

Definitions and acronyms in Regulations under GRB responsibilities on the basis of an initiative of the Working Party on Pollution and Energy

23. GRB was informed about the current intention of GRPE to list all definitions and acronyms currently in the Regulations on noise emissions under its responsibility to avoid misconception when used in other Regulations. In this respect it was noted that RESS acronym (Replacement Exhaust Silencing Systems) was also used by the Working Party on Passive Safety (GRSP) for Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems. GRB agreed to resume discussion at its February 2012 session on the basis of a proposal voluntarily prepared by the experts from OICA and ISO.

24. The expert from the Russian Federation introduced GRB-54-05, proposing a revision of the titles of Regulations under GRB responsibilities. The proposal received comments from GRB experts, such as to replace the word “noise” with “sound” in all the texts of Regulations. GRB agreed to resume discussion on this subject on the basis of a proposal jointly prepared by the experts from the Russian Federation and the Netherlands.

25. GRB also agreed to revise the scope of noise Regulations annexed to the 1958 Agreement, shown by categories of vehicles in the Consolidated Resolution on the Construction of Vehicles (R.E.3) with the intention to include especially L6 and L7 categories. Accordingly it was agreed to introduce a new agenda item on this subject in the agenda of the February 2012 session of GRB.

3. GRB noted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5, tabled by the expert from the Russian Federation, to provide harmonized definitions on vehicle type concerning noise, the terms noise and sound. The expert from IMMA expressed a reservation (GRB-56-08) on the proposal as a whole arguing that the introduction of new definitions would be premature, taking into account the recent publication of Revision 2 of UN Regulation No. 41. GRB agreed to resume consideration on this proposal at its February 2013 session on the basis of further information provided by the expert from the Russian Federation.

4. GRB considered GRB-56-04, introduced by the expert from ISO, updating the text concerning the test site of the UN Regulation with the latest amendment of ISO Standard 5130:2012. The proposal received comments from the expert by Germany who suggested more objective criteria in verifying the level of porosity of the test site. GRB agreed to resume consideration on this subject on the basis of a revised proposal voluntarily prepared by the expert from ISO.

5. The expert from IMMA sought GRB’s clarification on paragraph 8.2. on the conformity of production tests, specifically: whether the 1 dBA allowance was applicable to the maximum A-weighted sound pressure level representing urban driving (L_urban) and to the sound pressure level in wide open throttle (L_wot). GRB agreed that currently paragraph 6.2.3. (specification regarding sound levels) clearly stated that the difference between L_wot shall not exceed the limit value for L_urban by more than 5 dB and if the +1dB was applied to L_urban, as given in Annex 6, then this additional +1 dB allowance was automatically also applicable to L_wot value.

3. GRB resumed discussion on ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5, tabled by the expert from the Russian Federation, providing harmonizing definitions on vehicle type concerning noise, the terms noise and sound. The expert from the Russian Federation introduced comments (GRB-57-21) to the concerns raised by the expert from IMMA to his proposal during the September 2012 session of GRB. The expert from IMMA recalled his reservation (GRB-56-08) to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5 and announced the provisions of further information for the September 2013 session of GRB. Accordingly, GRB agreed to resume discussion on this proposal at its next session on the basis of detailed information provided by the experts concerned.

6. GRB resumed consideration of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5, tabled by the expert from the Russian Federation. The expert from IMMA reiterated the same concerns expressed in the last sessions of GRB (GRB-56-08), suggesting a time reservation on the proposal so as to receive more data from the technical services applying the 04 series of amendments of the UN Regulation recently entered into force. GRB agreed to resume discussion on this subject at its January 2014 session, awaiting possible proposals on harmonized definitions and terminology common to UN Regulations Nos. 9, 41, 63 and 92.

3. GRB resumed consideration of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5, tabled by the expert from the Russian Federation. The expert from IMMA stated that, although he supports the objective of correct usage of the terms “noise” and “sound” as well as clarifications in terminology related to noise reduction systems, IMMA wishes to avoid confusion with different application of these terms in UN Regulations Nos. 9, 41, 63 and 92, if the proposed amendments were approved. He added that in regards to the proposed reference in the type approval documentation to the type of catalyst, he was awaiting from the Russian experts the evidence in test results showing the influence of the catalyst type on the level of noise of L category vehicles.

4. The expert from the Russian Federation referred to his informal discussion with IMMA, where it was concluded that it would be more appropriate to introduce the amendments similar to those presented in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5 together in all UN Regulations related to noise of L category vehicles and to incorporate such amendments together with other proposals which are expected to be prepared following the development of the relevant legislation of the European Union. Taking this into account, the expert from the Russian Federation withdrew ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/5 for the time being, bearing in mind the introduction of similar proposals into all UN Regulations related to L category vehicle noise in the future.