74. The representative of France recalled his presentation (WP.29-197-15) at the 197th WP.29 session on virtual testing. He reported on the outcome of a workshop on this topic held on 30 January 2026. He mentioned that the participants had reviewed the virtual testing concepts introduced by GRVA in UN Regulations Nos. 131 and 152. He detailed the comments received during the workshop. Responding to a question raised by the Russian Federation in the context of UN Regulation No. 66, he invited delegations to present their considerations during the next workshop proposed to be held in April or May 2026, or to provide information in writing.

75. The representatives of Germany, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Sweden, and the United Kingdom welcomed the discussion and its continuation. The representative of Sweden also stressed the importance that the guidance document is not limited to only one-to-one replication of physical test, as this flexibility would present an opportunity to enhance both vehicle safety and environmental performance. The representative of Czechia commented on the need to validate calculations and emphasized the importance of high qualification of those involved in virtual testing (including knowledge of functional safety under ISO 26262) to ensure meaningful evaluations. The representative of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland asked whether participants viewed Schedule 8 to the 1958 Agreement as a potential placeholder for future virtual testing provisions. The representative of Sweden supported the idea that each GR should determine whether virtual testing is appropriate for a given Regulation. The representative of OICA supported this view, noting that the virtual testing was already included in some regulations and should be reconsidered only when appropriate. He added that virtual testing required skills and investments were not always accessible to small manufacturers, and therefore should remain an option rather than become mandatory.

84. The representative of France presented considerations on virtual testing, recalling the recent provisions adopted by WP.29. He proposed that provisions be derived from the approach included in UN Regulations Nos. 131 and 152 and inserted in R.E.3. Several delegations expressed interest in these activities, others provided comments and noted the importance to address the challenges of virtual testing. The representative of UK noted the existing provisions in Schedule 8 of the 1958 Agreement and inquired about the interaction of those with future provisions in R.E.3. The secretariat noted that the most appropriate test tool repository including virtual testing should be M.R.1 instead of R.E.3 to consider both 1958 and 1998 Agreements. Interested parties were invited to take this into consideration by March 2026 session of WP.29. WP.29 agreed to resume consideration of this agenda item. The representative of the Russian Federation proposed mandatory physical testing to verify the virtual model, as well as mandatory inclusion of verification materials in the official approval file, including the DETA database.