18. The expert from the EC introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2 and a corrigendum contained in GRPE-68-08, outlining a proposal to amend UN Regulation No. 83 in order to align its requirements with those of the European Union Regulation (EC) Nos. 715/2007, 692/2008, 566/2011, 459/2012 and 630/2012.

19. The expert from Germany stressed the need to combine safety-related provisions on H2NG flex fuel vehicles with the provisions included in the proposal. The expert from France supported this statement. She underlined that, while Europe has a whole vehicle type approval procedure in place and capable to ensure that the safety issues are also taken into consideration, this is not the case in Contracting Parties that are not subject to the European homologation procedure.

20. The expert from OICA introduced GRPE-68-07-Rev.1, proposing to modify ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2 in order to avoid misinterpretations in the practical implementation of the UN Regulation. GRPE-68-07-Rev.1 contains modifications regarding the inclusion of: i) pure electric vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in the table on the application of test requirements for type approval and extensions; ii) requirements of UN Regulation No. 85 in UN Regulation No. 83; iii) aspects related with real driving conditions (currently being discussed in the EU); iv) a limit of validity of type-approvals clause and v) the concept of H2NG flex fuel vehicles. It also addresses the requirements for daytime running lamps and for vehicles equipped with compression-ignition engines. The expert from OICA underlined that GRPE-68-07-Rev.1 addresses the concerns on H2NG flex fuel vehicles raised by the experts from Germany and France.

21. The expert from Japan supported GRPE-68-07-Rev.1. The expert from the EC agreed to remove the references to the hydrogen and natural gas (H2NG) fuel from ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2. The expert from Italy agreed with this solution, but he also underlined the need to consider H2NG in future developments of UN Regulation No. 83 and other regulatory texts. Following a comment by the expert from the United Kingdom, a reference to vehicles required to be equipped with daytime running lamps, originally included in the OICA proposal (amending section 3.2.7. of Annex 4a), was removed from GRPE-68-07-Rev.1.

22. GRPE adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2, as amended by GRPE-68-08 and GRPE-68-07-Rev.1 (without the amendment of section 3.2.7. of Annex 4a), requesting the secretariat to combine these modifications and submit the resulting text to WP.29 and AC.1 for consideration at their June 2014 sessions as the 07 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 83.

23. The expert from OICA introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/9, updating the On-Board Diagnostics (OBD) requirements in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2 (07 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 83). He also explained that ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/8 contains similar changes for the 06 series of amendments. The expert from CLEPA mentioned that the consequences of these proposals are currently being scrutinized. The expert from the EC expressed the need to analyse the proposals in further detail, also stating that the position of all stakeholders affected by these modifications needs to be taken into account. The expert from Germany also expressed concerns on the content of the proposals. The expert from OICA sought the GRPE advice for their future consideration. GRPE endorsed the invitation by the expert from the EC to consider ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/8 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/9 in an expert meeting with interested stakeholders with the aim to find a compromise. GRPE also requested the expert from the EC to provide information on the development of this discussion in the June 2014 session of GRPE.

26. The expert from the EC introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/5, a proposal to align the requirements of UN Regulation No. 101 with the latest changes in the regulatory framework of the European Union in relation to the specifications of new reference fuels E10 and B7, explaining that this is related with the provisions of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2014/2.

22. Having introduced ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2013/11, containing a proposal for the transposition of the Euro 6 legislation on the exhaust emissions of pollutants into the UN Regulation No. 83 (as explained also in GRPE-66-22), the expert from the EC explained that further amendments to the Euro 6 regulations are expected to be agreed upon in July 2013. The original plan was to include these amendments in UN Regulation No. 83 with the adoption of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2013/11 (as amended by GRPE-66-04-Rev.1, concerning the choice of tyres) during the current GRPE session, and to submit the changes that will be agreed upon in July 2013 to the January 2014 session of GRPE.

23. The expert from OICA suggested postponing the approval of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2013/11 (and related modifications, including those contained in GRPE-66-32, concerning requirements for daytime running lamps and clerical errors) due to the potential confusion caused by the forthcoming amendments to the Euro 6 regulatory texts.

24. The experts from Germany and the Netherlands supported the approach suggested by OICA. The expert from Germany also stated that the Euro 6 requirements concerning vehicles using a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas as fuel shall follow the introduction of safety-related requirements. The expert from the EC clarified that, in the European Union, setting the emission requirements does not lead to the possibility to type approve the whole vehicle, since this will only be feasible once the safety provisions are defined and adopted. Following the warning of the expert from OICA about the absence of whole vehicle type approval requirements in the UN regulatory framework, he added that, if deemed necessary, the introduction of emission requirements for vehicles using a mixture of hydrogen and natural gas as fuel in UN Regulation No. 83 could be reconsidered.

25. GRPE agreed that all modifications introduced in the current session of GRPE to ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2013/11, as well as those emerging from the discussion scheduled for July 2013 in the European Union framework and other eventual changes, shall be incorporated in a new working document that will be submitted for the January 2014 session of GRPE.