Fifty years of safe dangerours goods

Geneva,

The European Agreement concerning the International Transport of Dangerous Good by Road (ADR) turns fifty years in 2007 and to mark the occasion, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is organizing, on 8 November 2007, a Round Table discussion at the Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Transport stakeholders will come together to reflect on the past and present role of the ADR. Drawing on the example of this Agreement, participants will explore the effectiveness of UNECE legal instruments and the increased safety and facilitation of international transport.

The ADR sets standards for the international carriage of dangerous goods by road to ensure a high level of safety. It harmonizes transport conditions and facilitates the international transport and trade of a wide range of products of economic importance such as petroleum products, gases, chemicals, agrochemicals and fertilizers.

Contracting Parties allow the international carriage of dangerous goods by road on their territory provided it meets the conditions stipulated in the Agreement. The conditions cover both the packaging and labelling of dangerous goods, and the construction, equipment and operation of the vehicle carrying the goods. Nevertheless, each Contracting Party retains the right to regulate or prohibit, for reasons other than safety during carriage, the entry of dangerous goods into its country.

The annexes to the ADR contain internationally agreed conditions for the international carriage of dangerous substances, including wastes, in packages and in bulk. They address the types of packaging, containers, tanks and vehicles that may be used; requirements for their marking, labelling, use or operation; and their construction, testing and approval. They also contain procedures for training of persons involved in the carriage of dangerous goods, safety obligations of the participants, checks and other support measures to ensure compliance with safety requirements.

The ADR, done in Geneva on 30 September 1957, under the auspices of UNECE, entered into force on 29 January 1968 and currently counts 43 Contracting Parties, including the 27 Member States of the European Union, Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Norway, Russian Federation, Serbia, Switzerland and Ukraine.

The Round Table, which takes place during the 83 rd session of the Working Party on the transport of dangerous goods (WP.15), is open to the public. The programme can be found at: http://www.unece.org/trans/doc/2007/wp15/ECE-TRANS-WP15-83-inf09e-Rev1.pdf.

For further information please contact:

Ref: ECE/TRANS/07/P06