China, Germany, the Netherlands and Togo have joined the new UN Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Rail, which aims to eliminate legal barriers and competitive disadvantages of rail transport in the Europe-Asia corridor. The document aims to harmonize transportation conditions, which will reduce costs and increase the attractiveness of rail routes for cargo owners.
The Convention was developed under the auspices of the UNECE Working Party on Rail Transport and approved in November 2023. It will enter into force six months after ratification by five states. UN representatives note that a number of other countries have already expressed interest in the document, which opens the way for further integration.
The new agreement creates a single legal regime combining two existing systems – CIM (Intergovernmental Organization for International Carriage by Rail) and SMGS (Organization for Cooperation between Railways). Previously, the lack of a single legal field created difficulties for routes passing through countries with different regulatory systems.
Rail transport has traditionally been inferior to road transport in terms of ease of registration and legal certainty. The adoption of the Convention will eliminate these obstacles, improve the efficiency of transportation and ensure the continuity of logistics along the entire route from China to Europe.
In addition to the economic benefits, the document will contribute to the implementation of climate goals: according to UN data, rail transport is on average 5.7 times less carbon-intensive than road transport for every ton transported. This makes it an important element in the transition to more sustainable logistics.