Minutes of the WORLD FORUM ADVISORY GROUP (WFAG) MEETING. Brussels, 19 October 2015

Transcription

1 EUROPEAN COMMISSION DIRECTORATE-GENERAL DG for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs Industrial Transformation and Advanced Value Chains Automotive and Mobility Industries Brussels, 13 January 2016 Minutes of the WORLD FORUM ADVISORY GROUP (WFAG) MEETING Brussels, 19 October 2015 Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles / Europese Commissie, B-1049 Brussel - Belgium. Telephone: (32-2)

2 Documentation (agenda 167 th WP29): Attendance: Chairmen of GRB (FR), GRSG (IT), GRE (BE), NL, ES and SE, representatives of the Commission services (DG GROW). Madam Chair: Ms J. Szychowska (DG GROW) Summary of the meeting Madam Chair opened the meeting and reviewed the draft agenda together with the participants. The draft agenda was adopted. 1. Real world driving emissions (RDE) Madam Chair informed the participants that the EC had received expressions of interest in developing a UN Regulation from Australia. She intended to update WP29 on the state of play with respect to the RDE requirement developments in the EU. The EC representative noted that also Japan and possibly Korea had shown interest to develop UN requirements on RDE and not restricted to Diesel vehicles only. The IT representative expressed his interest in these international developments and in his view if the EU would ever get engaged in international development of RDE he would favour developing such an item as a UN GTR. Madam Chair noted that at this point in time priority should be given to discuss the open issues at the EU level but eventually the possibility to discuss the issues at the international level should be considered. 2. World-wide harmonised Light-duty Vehicle Test Protocol (WLTP) Document: WP The EC representative provided an update on the developments on the WLTP. Phase 1b to further develop UN GTR No 15 was finalised and the amendments adopted by the UNECE informal working group (IWG) in the recent meeting that took place in Tokyo. The draft mandate and lay-out out of phase 2 in which the GTR will be further supplemented with among others requirements in the area of evaporative emissions, durability of pollution control devices and low ambient emission testing had been discussed and was subsequently adopted in the June 2015 GRPE meeting. In the Nov 15 session of WP29 the draft mandate with agreed scope of work would need to be adopted in order to ensure that the IWG can continue with its tasks. He anticipated that in the March 2016 WP session a more detailed work plan could be presented. The EC representative continued with the update by informing the participants that there were 3 main aspects that were of importance to the EU for the coming time; transposition of UN GTR No 15 Commission européenne, B-1049 Bruxelles Telephone: (32-2) Office: BREY 10/18. Telephone: direct line (32-2) Fax: (32-2)

3 into EU legislation, a correlation exercise comparing the CO 2 results obtained in the NEDC and WLTC falling under the responsibility of DG CLIMA and transposition of GTR No 15 into a UN Regulation. The EC had developed a working paper on this transposition at the international level and WP29 would be requested to express its preference for one of two possible routes. The ES representative asked if September 2017 would still be targeted and is feasible to have the WLTP in place in EU approval legislation. The EC representative replied that in his view this is feasible for new types of vehicles but that is pending the political decision by Member States. The most important date to realise is September 2018 for all new registrations. The IT representative was not sure that this scenario would be feasible and pointed out that the RDE and WLTP requirements should be consistent. Madam Chair concluded that the next steps in the upcoming WP29 were due soon and that the EC would continue to be committed to implement the WLTP as planned. 3. Information on the bilateral negotiations EU Japan and EU USA The EC representative provided an update on the trade negotiations between the EU and USA, respectively EU - Japan with respect to the automotive sector. She informed the participants that the negotiations with Japan were advancing steadily and well. Owing to Japan s high efforts to accede to a significant amount of UN Regulations the progress of the negotiations was good and the atmosphere between the negotiators from both sides remained constructive. Still a list of non-trade barriers was under discussion but several concerns from the EU side had been resolved. The EC representative also reported on the negotiations between the USA and EU in the automotive field. The biggest issue is the discussion on equivalency of test requirements and some test cases had been developed by the EC in the field of safety requirements. The USA had still to come back on the EU third test case, which deals with crashworthiness and equivalency of crash testing. The EU continued stressing the importance of effective implementation in accordance with the recommendations laid down in the trilateral EU / JPN / USA paper on the 1998 Agreement, including transposition of UN GTRs into the domestic legislations so as to allow harmonised test procedures in some areas of automotive legislation to which both the USA and the EU had signed up. She also noted that there were discussions on strengthening collaboration in the area of research and there were already some programs in process focussing on the safety of vulnerable road users. Nevertheless there is a need to step up the activities and collaborate more at the technical level. The NL representative requested more clarity on the process with respect to equivalence of US and EU requirements. He wanted to know who is responsible for which topics and how the processes to develop equivalence of testing and associated performance limits should be defined. The EC representative replied that the negotiations had not gone yet beyond the point of discussing the three test cases and that these would first need to be agreed upon before developing the general development process and responsibilities. The IT representative wanted to know if the environmental performance requirements are out of scope of the negotiations. 3

4 The EC representative stated that the discussions had focussed entirely on safety requirements. Owing to the fact that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had not participated in the negotiations there was no counterpart for the EU to discuss the environmental performance requirements with. Nevertheless there are UN GTRs 2, 4, 5 and 11 to which both the US and the EU have acceded. The EU can only stress the importance of these GTRs and timely transposition into US domestic legislation. 4. Review of the 1958 Agreement The SE representative inquired what the impact of the negotiations reported under item 3 would be on the proposal of revising the 1958 Agreement and the EU type-approval framework. Madam Chair expressed the hope that adoption by the Commission of the proposal on the 3 rd Revision of the 1958 Agreement would take place before the November 2015 session of WP29, so that the international community could be informed that the proposal was under discussion at the level of Council and Parliament. This scenario could still allow the EU to be in the position to vote in the March 2016 session of WP29. A policy study had been presented in the last MVWG meeting assessing pros and cons of revising the 1958 Agreement and associated impacts for the EU. She anticipated that this study would be published in the next weeks. 5. Trilateral paper to support improving the 1998 Agreement Document: ECE-TRANS-WP The EC representative reported that comments had been received from NL, OICA, CLEPA/MEMA/JAPIA and T&E. In general the comments were supportive in improving the implementation of the 98 Agreement. However, some of the comments were addressing procedures and issues beyond the 98 Agreement and were more related to the general functioning of the World Forum for harmonisation of vehicle legislation WP29. A Question and Answer list was compiled so as to allow other interested parties to review the comments and replies. The paper is only a first step and invites the Contracting Parties of the 98 Agreement to more efficiently and effectively transpose UN GTRs into their domestic legislations. She hoped that the paper would be formalised in the upcoming Nov 15 WP29 meeting. The IT representative wanted to know if the EC expected that the paper would be adopted by AC2 and WP29 in the coming session and how the comments from T&E had to be understood as well as clarification on the scope of their comments. He asked for the EC s view on how these comments could be addressed. The EC representative explained that T&E had criticised the general lack of transparency of the WP29 processes and that this concern would need to be discussed with the Co-authors USA and Japan as well as with the UNECE secretariat in order to address this generic concern and to define concrete steps in order to improve the situation. The ES representative referred to the poor status of transposed UN GTRs into domestic legislation and could be done to convince the Contracting Parties to improve this. The EC representative acknowledged this concern and stated that besides multilateral negotiations at the level of the UNECE also bilateral meetings with countries would be used to point out this concern 4

5 and to invite these countries to better comply with the obligations of transposition and annual notification to the UNECE on the status at the national levels. 6. Report of the GR chairmen; The WFAG recalled the oral reports of the Chairs of GRB (noise), GRE (lighting), and GRSG (general safety) summarising the latest GR meetings and the state of play in these respective subsidiary working groups of WP WP29 November 2015 notably the review of the agenda (ECE-TRANS-WP ) Agreement: The GRSG Chairman reported that instead of adopting that amendment as a further new series of amendments, GRSG had agreed to withdraw document ECE/TRANS/WP.29/2015/90 from the WP.29 agenda and to submit a new draft 02 series of amendments to UN Regulation No. 110, incorporating both proposals (directional discharge and removal of welded cylinders) for consideration at the March 2016 WP29 session. No other open issues under WP29 agenda items 4 were reported, the EU will therefore be ready to vote on the items listed in the Annex of the mega decision (NB Council Decision giving the mandate to the EC to vote on behalf of the Member States on a list of amendments to existing UN Regulations) Agreement The group took note that AC.3 would vote in the November 2015 WP29 session on new Mutual Resolution No 2 with respect to harmonised vehicle powertrain definitions Gtr No.16 (Tyres) (item 18.7); The EC representative reported that phase 1b of the Tyre GTR No 16 was ready for adoption by GRRF in February This included transferring certain requirements that were included in UN Regulation No 117 as upgrade for technical progress into UN GTR No 16 so that both documents would be at the same technical level. He referred to among others the rolling resistance requirements from UN Regulation No 117 that might be left to the discretion of the Contracting Parties of the 98 Agreement in order to take them on-board of GTR No 16 or not Draft gtr on Electric Vehicles (EVS) (item 18.8); The EC representative reported on the latest development in the 9 subgroups operating under the main IWG that are developing a UN GTR on EVS and some open issues. Some features require significantly more research and therefore the IWG had decided to split the work into 2 phases. In order to finalise phase 1 and to complete some of the ongoing research the IWG would be requesting WP29 for an extension of the mandate with one additional year. From the perspective of the EC some dedicated requirements are needed with respect to the venting of gasses from the propulsion batteries. He reported that a drafting team had been appointed by the IWG and the target to finalise the draft UN GTR was July

6 Draft gtr on Quiet Road Transport Vehicles (QRTV) (item 18.9); The GRB Chairman reported that the UN Regulation on QRTV had finalised its work and the new Regulation was adopted in the last GRB session. He anticipated a vote on this new UN Regulation in the March 2016 WP29 session. The work of the other IWG working on the UN GTR on QRTV was paused about a year ago awaiting the domestic rule making process in the USA. The USA anticipated that this rule making would be completed at the end of 2015 and consequently the work on the UN GTR on QRTV could be resumed. He stated that there was a risk that there would be diverging technical requirements in the UN GTR and UN Regulation but that adoption of the UN Regulation could not wait as else the EU could not refer to it in accordance with the mandate from Council and Parliament by the end of The GRB Chairman reported that comments were received from the World Blind Union and that these comments might drive future amendments in the UN Regulation. He recommended to postpone the vote of the UN Regulation to the June WP29 session so as to take due account of these important comments from one of the main stakeholders on the output of the QRTV requirements, depending also on the outcome of the next QRTV IWG meeting that will consider maintaining the draft text of the UN Regulation as currently adopted by GRB but which might be revisited and amended in due course. 8. Any other business; 8.1. Intelligent Transport Systems and Autonomous vehicles (ITS/AD, item 2.3); The EC representative reported on the developments in the IWG on ITS/AD and the upcoming meetings in the beginning of November and during the upcoming WP29 week. A number of controversial subjects were under discussion and he anticipated that this important subject would raise many questions, not only in the technical area with respect to vehicle approval but also horizontal issues that are out of the scope of WP29 and beyond the capabilities and knowhow from the technical experts in vehicle technology Discussions in GRSG on event data recorder. The GRSG Chairman reported that the UK had announced to table a proposal on event data recorder (EDR) requirements in the beginning of 2016 and that GRSG had agreed in principle with developing harmonised and technical requirements for such a device. He noted that the EC had raised a general reservation on this subject in the June 2015 session of WP29 for several reasons. The EC will be involved in the work but whether or not an EDR should be fitted on vehicles, it is a decision which should be left to the Co-legislators in the context of the General Safety Regulation. GRSG recommended that the Informal Working Group on ITS/AD would start assessing this subject in their group and collaborate with GRSG in the development of the requirements for such a device. The EC representative explained that the reservation was raised as this is a very sensitive topic and due care has to be taken that all parties involved are properly informed. It should also be taken into account that possible requirements would be applicable for an EDR, only if fitted and not to target fitting an EDR on a mandatory basis. It is important to ensure that all necessary competencies are available when developing such a device as some of the issues like e.g. data protection and privacy go beyond the competencies of the WP29 experts. She recommended involving the EU specialists, such as the special envoy on data protection in the EU in these controversial fields at the earliest possible time of the initiative. 6