International Rail Transport Law (CIM, SMGS, COTIF)

Description - International Rail Transport Law (CIM, SMGS, COTIF). International Rail Transport Committee (CIT)

The International Rail Transport Committee (CIT) is an association of 216 railway and shipping companies that provide services to the international passenger and cargo enterprises.

The International Rail Transport Committee helps the railways to implement the International Rail Transport Laws.

In the recent decades, the political, economic, technical and legal evolution has required that the activities of the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT) be further diversified, culminating with the most important reform ever undertaken in the international railway law: to make the COTIF Convention is compatible with the Directive 91/440 / CEE on the development of the railways of the European Union.

The international rail transport is governed by several intergovernmental agreements and within the European Union by several EU regulations and directives.

1. The contract for international carriage of goods by rail is governed by the Uniform Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM) in Western and Central Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
2. In Eastern Europe and Asia, the international carriage of goods by rail is governed by the Agreement on international carriage of goods by rail (SMGS) of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD)

The COTIF Convention is applicable in forty-nine states, the SMPS and the Agreement on international carriage of goods by rail (SMGS) in twenty-six states and the European railway law in the twenty-five EU member states with rail infrastructure.

The International Rail Transport Committee (CIT) is in continuous direct contact with the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) / Convention COTIF, which harmonises the rail transport laws of 49 states.

In its relations with the EU institutions on transport legislation, the International Railway Transport Committee acts jointly with the Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER).

The CIT Cargo Traffic Manual (GTM-CIT) specifies the standard way in which the international transport of goods by rail must be carried out in order to guarantee the integrity of the transport contract.

Member countries of the International Rail Transport Committee: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Morocco, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, Turkey, United Kingdom, Ukraine.

Headquarters of the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT): Bern (Switzerland)

1. Containers and International Transportation
2. Rail Transport in Africa
3. Customs Convention on Containers (CCC, UN)
4. Road-Rail Combined Transport
5. Almaty-Bishkek Economic Corridor
6. Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor
7. China-Mongolia-Russia Economic Corridor
8. China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
9. China-Central Asia-West Asia Economic Corridor
10. India-Chabahar (Iran)-Afghanistan Economic Corridor
11. Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)
12. International Transport and Transit Corridor of the Ashgabat Agreement
13. Trans-Siberian Railway (Russia, Mongolia, China, North Korea)
14. International North-South Transport Corridor (India-Russia)
15. Afghanistan-Turkmenistan-Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Transport Corridor (Lapis Lazuli)
16. Trans-Caspian Trade and Transit Corridor (Central Corridor)
17. East-West Economic Corridor (Myanmar-Thailand-Laos-Vietnam)
18. Kyrgyzstan-Tajikistan-Afghanistan-Iran Transport Corridor (KTAI-ECO)
19. Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Rail and Road Corridor (ITI-ECO)
20. Nanning-Singapore Economic Corridor

Trans-European Transport Network Corridors

1. Atlantic Transport Corridor
2. Baltic-Adriatic Transport Corridor
3. North Sea-Baltic Transport Corridor
4. North Sea-Mediterranean Transport Corridor
5. Mediterranean Transport Corridor
6. Eastern Europe-Eastern Mediterranean Transport Corridor
7. Scandinavian-Mediterranean Transport Corridor
8. Rhine-Alpine Transport Corridor
9. Rhine-Danube Transport Corridor
10. Strasbourg-Danube Transport Corridor
11. Pan-European Corridor II
12. Pan-European Corridor IX