39. Upon the request of WP.29 at its previous session, the secretariat presented the guidelines on amendments to UN Regulations (WP.29-163-10) with several proposals on the administrative proceedings of the secretariat under the current version and the future Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement. WP.29 welcomed the proposal and referred the document to IWVTA and its subgroups for detailed consideration at their next meetings. WP.29 invited all interested delegates to transmit their comments to the secretariat and agreed to resume consideration on this subject at its next session on the basis of a revised document, taking into account the comments received.

40. Concluding the discussion, WP.29 requested the secretariat to participate in all forthcoming meetings of IWVTA.

24. The secretariat presented draft guidelines on amendments to UN Regulations (WP.29-163-10), including a new term “version of a UN Regulation” and a common commencement date (1 September each year) recommended for new series of amendments to all UN Regulations listed in the annex of UN Regulation No. 0. In this respect, the Chair recalled that for the 03 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 51, the date of entry into force of phase 1 was fixed on 1 July 2016, in order to synchronize it with the entry into force of EU Regulation No. 540/2014 on the sound level of motor vehicles and of replacement silencing systems (see para. 5 above).

34. GRE recalled the draft guidelines on amendments to UN Regulations (WP.29-163-10) and a recommendation to limit the submission of a set of amendments to an existing Regulation to only one session of WP.29 per year, in order to reduce the administrative burden. GRE noted that, in the future, it could continue approving amendments to a specific Regulation at each session, but their subsequent submission to WP.29 and AC.1 would be done only once a year.

Set of explanations and requests for WP.29 approval of a questionnaire to solicit contracting party input on regulations to include in the whole vehicle type approval and handling of replacement parts under certain conditions, amendment of the 1958 Agreement status report to communicate whether contracting parties accept only ‘universal’ or accept ‘limited’ whole vehicle type approvals, to set English as the documentation language, and for comments on the proposed Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement.

45. The representative of Japan, Vice-Chair of the IWG on IWVTA, reported on the work progress made during the meetings held in Moscow prior to the WP.29 session (WP.29-163-19). He underlined the need to distribute a questionnaire to be sent to all countries/REIO (regional economic integrated organizations) participating in WP.29 on the difficulty with the proposed UN Regulations included in UN R0 and on the procedure for spare parts (WP.29-163-20 and WP.29-163-21). He proposed the insertion of a new column in the status document of the Agreement to list minimum acceptable versions of UN Regulations by Contracting Parties which accept the IWVTA of limited recognition. He sought the consent of WP.29 to use English as the only language for the application of type approvals and the accompanying documentation.

46. The World Forum welcomed the work done by IWVTA and endorsed the proposed procedures above.

48. The representative of the Russian Federation supported the initiative and proposed an amendment to the voting procedure by increasing the current threshold of two-thirds to a minimum of three-quarters majority as this would strengthen the rule making procedures of Contracting Parties. She voiced legal objections to the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations on the proposed proxy voting. WP.29 noted that, according to OLA, the proxy voting procedure was legally acceptable in the context of the United Nations (WP.29-163-24).

49. The representative of Japan announced that the draft Revision 3 was satisfactory for his country. He expressed his preference for a four-fifths majority and stated that this view was shared by a number of Asian Contracting Parties as well as by some potential Contracting Parties to the Agreement. He announced the preparation of a concrete proposal on raising the voting majority threshold, for consideration at the November 2014 session. The representative of EU supported draft Revision 3 and recommended Contracting Parties to also initiate their procedures for legal and political assessment. The representative of Australia indicated his country’s support for a four-fifths majority and that Australia would be a co-sponsor of Japan’s proposal. He also indicated Australia’s support for proxy voting, citing the tyranny of distance as a reason some delegations had difficulty in attending WP.29.

Final proposed text to revise and update the 1958 Agreement pursuant to the project to establish an international whole vehicle type approval system.

53. The Secretary to AC.1 reported on the progress in preparing Revision 3 of 1958 Agreement, including UN Regulation No. 0 on IWTA (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53 and WP.29-162-04), as well as the proposed revised guidelines for supplements and series of amendments to UN Regulations (WP.29-162-18) whose main elements are as follows:

a) Contracting Parties may apply former versions of UN Regulations, “engraved in stone”;

b) establish common date (e.g. 1 September each year) of entry into force of new series of amendments to UN Regulations;

c) only one new series of amendments per year would be allowed;

d) in case of several series of amendments in force, for every supplement the respective GR and WP.29 should indicate the series of amendments it refers to. The secretariat should prepare separate documents for each series of amendments for adoption by WP.29 and AC.1;

f) the guidelines for transitional provisions established by WP.29 (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1044/Rev.1) would be amended accordingly.

54. GRE took note of the above information and expressed no objections to setting the common annual date of entry into force of new series of amendments on 1 September.

42. GRSP noted that the consideration of draft Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53) was scheduled for the June session of WP.29 as well as other pending issues such as: (i) proxy vote, (ii) the final list A of draft UN Regulation No. 0 and (iii) common commencement dates for new series of amendments to UN Regulations. GRSP noted WP.29-162-18 introducing principles for supplements, series of amendments and Revisions to UN Regulations. GRSP finally agreed to move UN Regulation No. 16 to the final list A, while UN Regulation No. 14 should be moved to list B.

43. Moreover, GRSP noted GRSP-55-17, indicating possible scenarios for the introduction of different propulsion tractions into the UN Regulation in view of IWVTA. The expert from OICA stated that UN Regulations should be considered technologically and fuel neutral. The expert from Germany indicated that the solution of developing specialized Annexes, each dedicated to specific fuel systems, could facilitate Contracting Parties when applying preceding series of amendments. However, he suggested that GRSP-55-17 would be further discussed and referred to the IWG on IWVTA to verify if such a solution would be viable for all UN Regulations. He also envisaged that the issue of cross referencing to other UN Regulations should be further developed by the IWG. GRSP agreed to resume discussion on this issue and to refer in the meantime GRSP-55-17 to the IWVTA IWG for consideration.

39. The IWVTA Ambassador reported on the progress made by the IWG on IWVTA and the availability of the draft UN Regulation No. 0 (WP.29-162-04). He highlighted the ongoing discussion on the relevant content of lists A and B for UN Regulation No. 0, noting that UN Regulation No. 85 was in list A and that both UN Regulation No. 101 and WLTP were listed in List B. He echoed the comments made by the Chair on WLTP (see para. 10 above).

40. The secretariat also reported on the progress made on draft Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53) and referred to WP.29-162-12-Rev.1 as well as WP.29-162-18. He added that the draft Revision 3 of the Agreement included some new elements:

(a) Allowing Contracting Parties to grant type approvals according to former versions of UN Regulations;

(b) Triggering the mandatory application by Contracting Parties of new series of amendments to UN Regulations on a common commencement date (e.g. 1 September each year). These elements would permit to yearly collect into a single amendment to UN Regulation No. 0 all newly adopted amendments to existing UN Regulations and new UN Regulations;

41. The secretariat added that the Group was proposing to better follow the definitions of Supplements and series of amendments to ease the IWVTA process and that a set of amendments to a UN Regulation would only be permitted once a year. He concluded that guidelines for transitional provisions (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/1044/Rev.1) would be amended accordingly.

42. The GRPE Chair clarified that no further action was needed from GRPE at the moment.

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.

23. On behalf the GRB Ambassador to IWVTA, the expert from EC reported on the progress made on Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement and on the development of UN Regulation No. 0. At its June 2014 session, WP.29 had agreed to freeze the work on Revision 3 and to resume its consideration in November 2014 on the basis of political and legal guidance that the Contracting Parties had been requested to provide, in particular, on outstanding issues of proxy voting and the three-fourth or the four-fifth majority required for taking decisions. WP.29 had also approved a questionnaire on IWVTA which was subsequently distributed. The latest draft of Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement is contained in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/82.

33. The Secretary to WP.29 reported on the progress made on Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement and on the development of Regulation No. 0. At its June 2014 session, WP.29 had agreed to freeze the work on Revision 3 and to resume its consideration in November 2014 on the basis of political and legal guidance that the Contracting Parties had been requested to provide, in particular, on outstanding issues of proxy voting and the three-fourth or the four-fifth majority required for taking decisions. WP.29 had also approved a questionnaire on IWVTA, which was subsequently distributed. The latest draft of Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement is available in ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53 and ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/82.

51. WP.29 recalled the frozen text of draft Revision 3 to the 1958 Agreement (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53) and the additional provisions on the equal authenticity of English, French and Russian languages (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/82).

56. The World Forum recognized that the Contracting Parties would need more time to review the above proposals and agreed to resume consideration of this subject at its next session in March 2015. The representatives of Germany and the United Kingdom noted the need for a finalized text prior to submitting to their national authorities for approval and so the World Forum agreed that adoption of the revised agreement would be delayed accordingly. The secretariat was also requested to circulate WP.29-164-23 as a separate official document.

29. The secretariat informed GRB about the current situation in Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement, development of IVWTA and the Database on Exchange of Type Approval documentation (DETA) and highlighted the recent changes in the draft text of Revision 3 made at the November 2014 session of WP.29 as well as the remaining outstanding issues (ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/53, ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2014/82). GRB requested the secretariat to deliver, at its next session, a detailed presentation on Revision 3 of the 1958 Agreement. The Chair pointed out that Regulations Nos. 28, 51 and 117 under the responsibility of GRB had been recently amended and are ready for the inclusion in the IVWTA listing.