Proposal to include requirements for wet grip of tyres of classes C2 and C3 in worn state to the scope of the working group activities.

16. The expert from EC proposed to include C2 and C3 tyres in the Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT (GRBP-73-02). The expert from ETRTO presented a preliminary assessment of wet grip on worn C2 and C3 tyres (GRBP-73-22) and suggested further modifications to the Terms of Reference (GRBP-73-08). Based on a consolidated proposal in GRBP-73-27-Rev.1, GRBP adopted revised Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT as laid down in Annex III to the session report.

29. GRBP noted a mistake in the French text of UN Regulation No. 75 (GRBP-73-09) and requested the secretariat to liaise with the UN services to have it corrected.

Overview of UTAC CERAM testing designed to consider the impact of additional tightening of tyre performance limits on the balance
between legal requirements (rolling resistance, wet grip and rolling sound emission) and other performance aspects not subject to legal requirements.

5. The experts from EC, ETRTO and OICA reported on their studies on sound level limits (GRBP-73-23, GRBP-73-11 and GRBP-73-25, respectively). To coordinate such initiatives, GRBP decided to establish a taskforce (TF) and sought a volunteer among the experts from Contracting Parties to take the leadership of TF, while OICA agreed to act as secretary. GRBP considered that TF should address the sound level limits of UN Regulation No. 51 and, at a later stage, No. 41. To kick-off the TF activities without delay, the Chair pointed out that he could take the lead of TF on a temporary basis, if needed.

17. The expert from ETRTO proposed to introduce in UN Regulation No.117 a definition of “ice tyre” for C1 tyres (GRBP-73-19). The Chair invited ETRTO to submit a working document for consideration at the next session.

16. The expert from EC proposed to include C2 and C3 tyres in the Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT (GRBP-73-02). The expert from ETRTO presented a preliminary assessment of wet grip on worn C2 and C3 tyres (GRBP-73-22) and suggested further modifications to the Terms of Reference (GRBP-73-08). Based on a consolidated proposal in GRBP-73-27-Rev.1, GRBP adopted revised Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT as laid down in Annex III to the session report.

16. The expert from EC proposed to include C2 and C3 tyres in the Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT (GRBP-73-02). The expert from ETRTO presented a preliminary assessment of wet grip on worn C2 and C3 tyres (GRBP-73-22) and suggested further modifications to the Terms of Reference (GRBP-73-08). Based on a consolidated proposal in GRBP-73-27-Rev.1, GRBP adopted revised Terms of Reference of IWG WGWT as laid down in Annex III to the session report.

Proposal to replace “markings” by “approval mark” in paragraph 4.4.1. to clearly specify the intended application of the provision (i.e., to the approval mark, not to all markings).

78. The World Forum considered draft amendments under agenda items 4.6.1 to 4.6.7. and recommended their submission to AC.1 for voting, subject to the following corrections of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2021/8 under agenda item 4.6.6 (WP.29-183-06):
In paragraph 4.4.1., replace “markings” with “approval mark”.
In paragraph 9.1., delete from the proposal (i.e. keep the paragraph in its current form).

79. The Chair of GRBP presented draft amendment proposals contained in documents ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2021/3, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2021/10 and Rev.1, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2021/11 under agenda item 4.6.8 to 4.6.10., to amend UN Regulations Nos. 41, 141 and 142. The World Forum recommended their submission to AC.1 for voting.

65. The delegate from ETRTO reported on additional documentary requirements that their members had faced in several Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement when importing tyres which had been previously type approved by other Contracting Parties according to UN Regulations (WP.29-183-07). He held the view that such requirements were not in line with the text and spirit of Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement and requested WP.29 guidance on the issue.

66. The delegates from CLEPA, OICA and IMMA supported the ETRTO concerns over the proper implementation of the 1958 Agreement, but pointed out that their own members had so far not encountered similar problems.

67. WP.29 stressed that, according to Article 3 of the 1958 Agreement, “Contracting Parties applying UN Regulations shall, by mutual recognition, accept for the placement in their markets, and subject to the provisions of Articles 1, 8 and 12 as well as any special provisions within these UN Regulations, type approvals granted pursuant to these UN Regulations, without requiring any further testing, documentation, certification or marking concerning these type approvals”.

68. The World Forum invited Contracting Parties to report on issues which could impede the smooth application of mutual recognition at the national level and decided to revert to this matter at the next session, to assess the need for appropriate actions.

86. The representative of ETRTO recalled the petition for guidance it submitted to WP.29, at its March 2021 session (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1157, para. 65ff), concerning additional documentary requirements that their members had faced in several Contracting Parties to the 1958 Agreement when importing tyres which had been previously type approved by other Contracting Parties according to UN Regulations (WP.29-183-07). He reiterated the view that such requirements were not in line with the text and spirit of Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement and requested WP.29 guidance on the issue. He recalled that WP.29 had invited Contracting Parties to report on issues which could impede the smooth application of mutual recognition at the national level and decided to revert to this matter at the current session, to assess the need for appropriate actions. He added that since the March session of the World Forum, when the concerns were initially raised by ETRTO to WP.29, members of ETRTO had continued to report receiving requests for additional documentation and requests for retesting from local authorities in circumstances where such requests were uncalled for.

87. The delegates from OICA, IMMA and CLEPA restated their support to ETRTO regarding concerns over the proper implementation of the 1958 Agreement, while pointing out that their own members had so far not encountered similar problems.

88. WP.29 reiterated (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1145, para. 87) that, in accordance with the provisions of Article 3 of the 1958 Agreement, wheeled vehicles, equipment or parts for which type approvals have been issued by a Contracting Party pursuant to a UN Regulation shall be held to be in conformity with the relevant part of the national legislation of all of the Contracting Parties applying the said UN Regulation. WP.29 highlighted that Contracting Parties applying UN Regulations shall, by mutual recognition, accept for the placement on their markets type approvals granted pursuant to these UN Regulations without requesting any further testing, documentation, certification or marking concerning these type approvals, unless any special provisions within these UN Regulations so permit.

Proposal to introduce provisions for ice grip tyres, clarify Conformity of Production, sample submissions, and testing methods, and to make editorial corrections and improvements.

21. The expert of ETRTO tabled draft amendments that introduced an “ice grip tyre” definition and editorial corrections (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/17). GRBP adopted the proposal, as amended by GRBP-74-31-Rev.1, and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 14 to the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117.

23. The expert from France, in her capacity of Co-Chair IWG WGWT, presented draft amendments that introduced a procedure and thresholds on wet grip performance for C1 tyres in worn state (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/12, as updated by GRBP-74-33-Rev.1). GRBP adopted GRBP-74-33-Rev.1 and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as a new draft 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117. GRBP noted that, with the aim to complete the proposal and remove few square brackets, an informal document would be prepared for the next session. If adopted, this document would also be submitted to the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1. GRBP noted that, to avoid possible uncertainty, the adopted draft Supplement 14 to the 02 series of amendments (see para. 21 above) would be explicitly included in the future WP.29 document with the new draft 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117.

21. The expert of ETRTO tabled draft amendments that introduced an “ice grip tyre” definition and editorial corrections (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/17). GRBP adopted the proposal, as amended by GRBP-74-31-Rev.1, and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 14 to the 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 117.

This proposal aligns with the “Alpine symbol” location that is not restricted to the lower area of the tyre as prescribed in UN Regulation No. 117, especially considering the larger dimensions of the “Snow Grip Marking for Studded Tyres"

30. The expert from Finland presented a revised proposal for a new UN Regulation on studded tyres that had been prepared by TF ST (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/5/Rev.1). The expert from ETRTO suggested several modifications to the proposal (GRBP-74-32). GRBP adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/5/Rev.1 as amended by GRBP-74-32 and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as a new draft UN Regulation.

Comments on the proposals prepared by BIPAVER, France and Netherland to align the test procedures for retreaded tyres with the latest amendments to R30, R54 and R117.

17. The experts from France, the Netherlands and BIPAVER proposed to align the provisions for retreaded tyres with the previously adopted proposals for UN Regulations Nos. 30 and 117 and to cover all tread materials (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/15). The expert from ETRTO commented on the proposal and suggested further modifications (GRBP-74-29-Rev.1 and GRBP-74-35-Rev.1). GRBP adopted the proposal, subject to the amendments in Annex III of the session report, and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 6 to UN Regulation No. 108.

18. The experts from France, the Netherlands and BIPAVER proposed to align the provisions for retreaded tyres with the previously adopted proposals for UN Regulations Nos. 54 and 117 and to cover all tread materials (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/16). The expert from ETRTO commented on the proposal and suggested further modifications (GRBP-74-29-Rev.1 and GRBP-74-30-Rev.2). GRBP adopted the proposal with the amendments in Annex IV and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 11 to UN Regulation No. 109.

18. The experts from France, the Netherlands and BIPAVER proposed to align the provisions for retreaded tyres with the previously adopted proposals for UN Regulations Nos. 54 and 117 and to cover all tread materials (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/16). The expert from ETRTO commented on the proposal and suggested further modifications (GRBP-74-29-Rev.1 and GRBP-74-30-Rev.2). GRBP adopted the proposal with the amendments in Annex IV and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the March 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 11 to UN Regulation No. 109.

Corrections and alignment to document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/15

Proposal to remove an inconsistency in the marking provisions and extend production of the “regroovable” symbol or word “REGROOVABLE” beyond moudling (i.e., enable use of other technologies) for tyres that can be regrooved and to consolidate the calculation of reference dimensions with that provided in GTR 16 to allow measuring tyres with size designations listed in Annex 5 on rims whose width code differs from the measuring rim width code listed in the tables of Annex 5.

17. GRBP recalled that, at its previous session, it decided to continue consideration of ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/13 in view of other draft amendments to UN Regulation No. 54 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/72, para. 16). The expert from ETRTO tabled a proposal that aimed to consolidate the calculation of reference dimensions with that provided in United Nations Global Technical Regulation (UN GTR) No. 16 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2022/6).

18. GRBP adopted ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2022/6 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2021/13, as amended by GRBP-75-31-Rev.2, and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the June 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 25 to the original series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 54.

Proposal to align the definitions of “diagonal” or “bias-ply” and “bias belted” tyre structures to the definitions given in UNvR30 and R75, to improve the text with regard to description of the composition of the size designation for metric tyres, and to resolve an apparent contradiction regarding the prefixes IF and VF.

19. GRBP considered a proposal that had been prepared by the expert from ETRTO with the aim to align the definitions of “diagonal”, “bias-ply” and “bias belted” tyre structures with the definitions in UN Regulations Nos. 30 and 75 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRBP/2022/7). GRBP adopted the proposal and requested the secretariat to submit it for consideration and vote at the June 2022 sessions of WP.29 and AC.1 as draft Supplement 20 to UN Regulation No. 106.