47. WP.29 noted the revised text of draft Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53) reflecting the discussion of the March 2014 session. The World Forum requested the secretariat to reintroduce the provisions of the equal authenticity of English, French and Russian languages which existed in the first unamended text of the Agreement. WP.29 decided to freeze the draft revision and requested the Contracting Parties to clarify their political and legal views on this draft revision. WP.29 agreed to resume consideration of the revision of the Agreement at its November 2014 session, awaiting the appropriate political and legal guidance.

50. The representative of the EU, chairing the IWVTA subgroup on the review of the 1958 Agreement, informed the World Forum that a first proposal for amendments to the 1958 Agreement had been completed by the subgroup (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2013/134). He indicated that, after transmitting the proposal, the subgroup had convened again prior to the WP.29 session and that the majority of the pending issues had been solved (WP.29-161-15 superseding ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2013/134). He provided WP.29 with a general overview on the development of the proposal (WP.29-161-16) and recalled certain major features aimed to increase the attractiveness of the revised 1958 Agreement: (i) the possibility to grant and recognize type approvals according to previous series of amendments to UN Regulations, (ii) the possibility of a CP to delegate its voting right to another CP and (iii) the possibility for a CP to vote in favour of a new UN Regulation but to apply the UN Regulation at a later time point. He reported that the main pending issue for WP.29 to consider was the need to modify the two-third majority threshold for adopting new UN Regulations and amendments to existing UN Regulations. He concluded his presentation by inviting all the CPs to analyse the proposal and to provide their feedback at the next session of WP.29 in March 2014. The subgroup should resolve the issues by the November 2014 session of WP.29. At the March 2015 session, WP.29 should be in a position to identify if unanimity can be achieved to amend the Agreement and to launch the formal procedure for the amendment of the Agreement by a CP. Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement would then enter into force on March 2016.

51. WP.29 noted a general support on the development of the amendments to the Agreement and requested the secretariat to distribute WP.29-161-15 with an official symbol for consideration at its next session. WP.29 also noted that further amendments to WP.29-161-15 to resolve the pending issues, would be presented at the March 2014 session as an informal document.