MORE CONTAINER TRANSPORT ON
INLAND WATERWAYS IN EUROPE
Bulgaria signs an international agreement to
develop
container transport on inland waterways
in Europe
28 October 1998
Today, the Minister of Transport of Bulgaria, Mr. Wilhelm
Krauss, signed the Protocol on combined transport on inland
waterways to the European Agreement on Important International
Combined Transport Lines and Related Installations (AGTC) of
1991. With its signature, Bulgaria became the thirteenth ECE
member country which signed the Protocol.
The objectives of the Protocol, prepared by a group of experts
working under the auspices of the UN/ECE, are to emphasize the
importance European Governments accord to the development of
combined transport services on European inland waterways and
coastal routes with a view to reducing the environmental impact
of transport sector. The Protocol will also provide a
multilateral legal framework for promoting the use of combined
transport techniques (containers, swap-bodies, semi-trailers,
trucks) on European inland waterways and coastal routes. It will
enhance international coordination and cooperation in planning
and setting of priorities for the development of a coherent
European combined transport system and infrastructures using the
extensive European inland waterways network and coastal routes as
well as related ports.
In order to achieve these objectives, the Protocol to the AGTC
Agreement determines all important European inland waterways,
canals and coastal routes that are suitable for the use of
combined transport operations. The Protocol identifies all
important terminals in European ports that are suitable for the
use of combined transport services on inland waterways. It also
determines and prescribes, as international standards, technical
and operational minimum requirements that must be fulfilled by
the European inland waterway network and its port terminals in
order to allow for efficient international combined transport.
The AGTC Agreement (European Agreement on Important
International Combined Transport Lines and Related Installations
(AGTC) of 1991) prescribes the basic European combined transport
(road/rail) network as well as rail infrastructure standards and
operational minimum requirements and covers the whole of Europe
(from Norway to Turkey and from Portugal to the Russian
Federation). The following 21 countries are, at present,
Contracting Parties to the AGTC Agreement: Austria, Belarus,
Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany,
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway ,
Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Switzerland and Turkey.
The Protocol, which will remain opened for signature in the
UN/ECE in Geneva until 31 October 1998, will enter into force
after 5 States have ratified it. Three States (Czech Republic,
Denmark and Switzerland) have ratified it so far.
For further information please contact:
Mr. Martin Magold
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10
Tel: (+41 22) 917 24 53
Fax: (+41 22) 917 24 53
E-mail: [email protected]