Japan opposes the inclusion of specifications for Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems (AVAS) as contained within the consolidated proposal for the 03 series of amendments to UN R51 (GRB-58-04). AVAS specifications are actively under development as a new GTR and therefore, Japan cannot accept their definition under UN R51 until the GTR deliberations have been concluded.
7. The expert from OICA, secretary of the group of interested expert on vehicle noise, introduced GRB-58-04 (superseding ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/8, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRB/2012/16 and GRB-56-12) as a result of discussions in the last meeting of his group held in Brussels on 4 July 2013. The expert from EC, Chair, of the same group clarified that GRB-58-04 was an attempt to merge the provisions of the proposal of the Parliament and the Council of the EU1 with the current proposal of 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 51 and including additional aspects concerning the Chinese and Japanese markets, which were beyond the scope of the European Union legislation. He added that the outcome of discussions that would follow within GRB would be transmitted to the EU legislators with the aim of harmonizing the proposal with the draft 03 series of amendments. The expert from Japan proposed GRB-58-15 proposing the removal from GRB-58-04 of specifications on audible vehicle alerting system (AVAS) which is still in the process of development in the framework of activities of the UN GTR on Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV). The expert from Japan, Vice-Chair of the QRTV informal working group (IWG), also on behalf of the Chair of the IWG, reported similar concerns and request. The experts from China, the Republic of Korea and OICA supported these remarks. GRB endorsed the proposal made by the expert from Japan by suspending the discussion on AVAS provisions. GRB agreed to incorporate the results of discussion, including those of agenda item 3(b) (see paras. 10 and 11) into GRB-58-17-Rev.1., superseding GRB-58-04. It was noted that provisions still pending or suspended, were placed in square brackets in this document. The Chair of GRB clarified that GRB-58-17-Rev.1 would remain, on an informal basis, as a platform of discussion between the experts from GRB and EU in the group of interested experts on vehicle noise. GRB agreed to resume discussion on this subject on the basis of the outcome of next meetings of the group of interested experts scheduled for the first week of November 2013 and for the second week of January 2014 (both in Brussels).