2. Mr. Rijnders, Chair of GRPE, opened the meeting, held virtually because of the COVID19 pandemic, and welcomed the participants. GRPE adopted the provisional agenda of the eighty-first session (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/GRPE/2020/9), as updated and consolidated in GRPE-81-02-Rev.3, and GRPE-81-03 as a tentative running order. GRPE took note of GRPE-81-01 on the organization of GRPE Informal Working Group (IWG) meetings held during the weeks prior to this meeting.

3. The informal documents distributed before and during the GRPE session are listed in Annex I to the session report. Annex II lists the informal meetings held in conjunction with this GRPE session. Annex III lists IWGs of GRPE, task forces and subgroups, giving details on their Chairs, Secretaries and the end of their mandates.

4. The secretariat introduced GRPE-81-04 and GRPE-81-05 presenting guidelines for this session of GRPE held virtually and the proceedings for the decision taken during the session. Furthermore, the WP.29 secretariat informed the GRPE that there will be no interpretation available during the meeting and that the virtual meeting included a ‘silence procedure’ of ten days during which Contracting Parties (CPs) can react on the proposals in the three languages (Annex VIII of the session report).

5. The secretariat introduced GRPE-81-25, announcing that the next GRPE session would tentatively take place on from 12 to 15 January 2021 and recalling the corresponding deadline (20 October 2020) for the submission of official documents. The Chairs and Secretaries of IWGs were invited to approach the secretariat to define the calendar of IWGs meetings in conjunction with the January 2021 GRPE session. The secretariat also requested amendments proposals to now be submitted using tracking changes.