[Index]
TIR RUSSIAN CRISIS AVOIDED
Geneva, 18 December 2002
On Tuesday 17 December, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) and
the Customs Authorities of the Russian Federation have signed a Cooperation
Agreement that will allow the continuation of the guarantee coverage of TIR
transport operations on the territory of the Russian Federation.
The TIR transport system in Russia was under a major imminent threat following
the announcement made last week by the IRU to suspend the TIR guarantee coverage
on the territory of the Russian Federation due to the high level of Customs
fraud committed by organized crime in Russia.
As a result of the cooperation agreement, the suspension has been cancelled
and Russian as well as international transport operators will be able to continue
to carry out TIR transport operations in the Russian Federation. Russian transport
operators will also be allowed to continue to perform TIR transport operations
in other countries.
"I believe this agreement has avoided a major crisis for the Russian economy
but also for the whole European economy and I wish to thank both parties for
their efforts to find a mutually acceptable solution", said Mr. José
Capel Ferrer, Director, Transport Division of the United Nations Economic
Commission for Europe (UNECE).
"Indeed, the suspension would have significantly hampered international transport
and trade to, from and through the Russian Federation, thereby causing huge
losses to businesses and transport operators in Russia as well as in many
other European countries trading with Russia", added Mr. Capel Ferrer.
TIR transport operations are carried out on the basis of the so-called TIR
Convention. This Convention, concluded in Geneva in the framework of the UNECE
in 1975 and regularly updated to keep it in line with developments, enables
the movement of goods through international border under cover of a commonly
accepted Customs transit document, the TIR Carnet, with little or no intervention
by Customs of intermediate transit countries and at a low guarantee cost.
The IRU-Russian Customs agreement will help the Customs authorities to better
combat organized crime and drastically reduce TIR related Customs fraud in
the Russian Federation.
For further information, please contact:
Mr. José Capel Ferrer
Director
Transport Division
United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
Palais des Nations
CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland
Phone: +41 (0) 22 917 24 00
Fax: +41 (0) 22 917 00 39
Email:[email protected]
ECE/TRANS/02/08