6. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 30/1 
II 
(Preparatory Acts) 
COMMISSION 
Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement between the European 
Economic Community, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and Yugoslavia on the 
international combined road/rail carriage of goods (ATC) 
COM(88) 247 final 
(Submitted by the Commission on 16 May 1988) 
(89/C 30/01) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European 
Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 
thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal of the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social 
Committee, 
Whereas the Agreement between the European Economic 
Community, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and 
Yugoslavia on the international combined road/rail 
carriage of goods (ATC), signed on ... is a first step to 
facilitation and promotion of combined road/rail transport 
in Europe, 
Whereas the ATC should consequently be approved on 
behalf of the European Economic Community, Article 1 
The Agreement between the European Economic Com­
munity, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Sweden and 
Yugoslavia on the international combined road/rail 
carriage of goods (ATC) is hereby approved on behalf of 
the Community. 
The texts of the Agreement and the Final Act are attached 
to this Decision. 
Article 2 
The President of the Council shall deposit the Acts 
provided for in Article 11 of the Agreement. 
No C 30/2 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 2. 89 
AGREEMENT 
on the international combined road/rail carriage of goods (ATC) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, 
THE SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL, 
THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC 
OF YUGOSLAVIA, 
DESIRING to promote the development of international road/rail transport, and in particular to facilitate the 
organization and operation thereof; 
WHEREAS the use of the road/rail method for the international carriage of goods by road is over long distances 
a rational form of forwarding goods, especially in transit traffic; whereas it combines the advantages of road 
and rail; whereas it reduces road traffic and thus enhances road safety; whereas, at the same time, it fits in with 
action to protect the environment and to save energy; 
WHEREAS one of the main objectives of combined transport is to permit optimum use of the rail section of a 
journey whilst allowing for the individual characteristics of each combined transport route; 
WHEREAS it is important to encourage and facilitate combined road/rail transport; whereas one means of 
promoting it and of making it more attractive is to lift as many of the restrictions imposed on it as possible; 
WHEREAS a multilateral agreement on the rules to apply to the initial and terminal road haulage operations 
should be concluded to complement the domestic and international measures already adopted by the 
Contracting Parties; 
WHEREAS it is desirable to assign some administrative tasks concerned with the Agreement to the Secretariat 
of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT), 
HAVE DECIDED TO ESTABLISH UNIFORM RULES FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMBINED ROAD/ 
RAIL CARRIAGE OF GOODS 
and to this end have designated as their Plenipotentiaries: 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, 
THE SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL, 
THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC 
OF YUGOSLAVIA, 
WHO, having exchanged their Full Powers, found in good and due form, 
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: 
SECTION I 
Scope and definitions 
Article 1 
1. This Agreement shall apply to: 
(a) the international combined road/rail carriage of goods 
effected by road vehicles registered in a Contracting 
Party: of the Contracting Parties and plying: — between the territories of two Contracting Parties 
and, should the need arise during such transport 
operations, in transit through the territory of one or 
more Contracting Parties or through the territory of 
one or more non-contracting States, 
— or from or to the territory of a Contracting Party, 
and, in so doing, crossing in transit the territory of 
one or more other Contracting Parties; 
6. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 30/3 
(b) unladen journeys by the vehicles mentioned in (a) 
directly connected with such transport operations. 
2. For the purposes of this Agreement, in the case of the 
European Economic Community, the term 'territory of a 
Contracting Party' means those territories where the 
Treaty establishing that Community is applied, under the 
conditions laid down in that Treaty. 
Article 2 
1. For the purposes of this Agreement: 
(a) 'combined road/rail carriage' means carriage of goods 
by means of road vehicles or container units carried by 
rail for part of the journey, the road section being 
limited to the initial and terminal road haulage 
operations; 
In this context, not only lorries and tractor units but 
also trailers, semi-trailers and container units such as 
swap bodies and containers of 20 feet or more are 
regarded as road vehicles; where these trailers, semi­
trailers or container units are not formally subject to 
registration, the fact that they belong to, or are held by, 
undertakings established in the territory of one of the 
Contracting Parties shall be taken as being equivalent to 
registration; 
(b) 'swap body' means that part of a road vehicle in which it 
is intended that the load shall be placed and which may 
be detached from the vehicle and re-incorporated 
therein; 
(c) 'initial road haulage operations' and 'terminal road 
haulage operations' mean the sections covered by road 
before and after the transport operation by rail between 
the nearest suitable stations and the points of loading or 
unloading of the goods; 
(d) 'nearest suitable station' means any loading or unload­
ing station for the road vehicles used in combined road/ 
rail transport, situated at the shortest distance from the 
loading or unloading points, as appropriate, and 
equipped with adequate technical facilities for transfer­
ring these vehicles; 
(e) 'international road haulage operation' means any initial 
or terminal road haulage operation involving the 
crossing of a frontier; 
(f) 'internal road haulage operations' means any initial or 
terminal road haulage operation not involving the 
crossing of a frontier; 
(g) 'road traction' means any movement of a trailer or semi­
trailer by a tractor unit or a lorry in an initial or terminal 
road haulage operation. 
2. Transport operations using the railway principally to 
overcome a natural obstacle shall not be considered to be 
combined road/rail carriage for the purposes of this 
Agreement. 3. If a combined road/rail transport operation coming 
under this Agreement involves a sea journey, that sea 
journey shall be deemed to be a rail journey. 
SECTION II 
Liberalization measures 
Article 3 
1. Subject to the special provisions laid down in the 
Protocols annexed to this Agreement, which form an 
integral part thereof, and to the conditions laid down in 
paragraph 2, the Contracting Parties shall, on the date on 
which this Agreement enters into force, free combined 
road/rail carriage, as referred to in Article 1, from all 
authorizations and quota restrictions for the initial and 
terminal road haulage operations defined in Article 2(1) 
(c). 
2. The provisions set out in paragraph 1 shall be subject 
to the following conditions: 
(a) if the tractor unit or lorry is transported by train either 
alone or at the same time as the trailer or semi-trailer 
drawn by it, the liberalization measure provided for in 
paragraph 1 shall apply to the internal or international 
initial and/or terminal road haulage operations on 
condition that these vehicles are registered in a 
Contracting Party; 
(b) if the tractor unit or lorry is not transported by train at 
the same time as the trailer or the semi-trailer drawn by 
it, the liberalization measure provided for in para­
graph 1 shall apply on condition that: 
— for a national road haulage operation, road traction 
is effected by a road vehicle registered: 
— in the Contracting Party where the loading 
station is located, for the initial road haulage 
operation, and 
— in the Contracting Party where the unloading 
station is located, for the terminal road haulage 
operation; 
— for an international road haulage operation, road 
traction is effected by a road vehicle registered: 
— in the Contracting Party where the point of 
loading or the loading station is located, for the 
initial road haulage operation, and 
— in the Contracting Party where the unloading 
station or the point of unloading is located, for 
the terminal road haulage operation. 
No C 30/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 2. 89 
SECTION III 
Documentary proof: inspection 
Article 4 
1. The liberalization of combined carriage for hire or 
reward shall be contingent upon production by the carrier, 
on request, of a consignment note as laid down in Article 4 
et seq. of the Convention on the contract for the 
international carriage of goods by road (CMR), or any 
other document giving at least the following information: 
— name and address of the consignor, 
— place and date of acceptance of the goods for transport, 
— place at which the goods are to be delivered, 
— route to be taken, 
— frontier crossing points. 
2. In addition to the particulars specified in paragraph 1, 
the rail loading and unloading stations must be specified 
and proof given that: 
— in the case of the initial road section, the railway 
authorities or a body authorized by them has made a 
reservation for the transport by rail of the road vehicle, 
and, where required by the competent authorities of the 
Contracting Parties, the railway authorities or author­
ized body has received payment for it, 
— in the case of a terminal section, the rail section of the 
journey has actually been completed. 
3. When a trailer or semi-trailer belonging to an 
undertaking engaged in own-account combined transport 
is drawn on the terminal section by a tractor unit belonging 
to the undertaking to which the goods are consigned or to a 
road haulage undertaking working for hire or reward, this 
operation shall not require production of the document 
referred to in paragraph 1, but other documentary proof of 
the rail journey must be provided. 
Article 5 
As regards vehicles registered in the Contracting Party 
concerned, this Agreement shall not affect the conditions 
applicable in each of the Contracting Parties governing 
admission to the occupation of road haulier and access to 
the transport market. 
SECTION IV 
General and final provisions 
Article 6 
The Contracting Parties shall communicate to the ECMT 
Secretariat, which shall inform the other Contracting Parties, the designation of their competent authorities, the 
measures taken to implement this Agreement, and in 
particular those arising from Article 3, and their provisions 
as regards organization, procedure and means of control. 
Article 7 
The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall 
ensure that carriers comply with the provisions concerning 
them adopted in pursuance of this Agreement. 
They shall inform each other, in accordance with their 
respective laws, of infringements of the said provisions 
committed in their territory by carriers established in the 
territory of another Contracting Party and of any penalties 
imposed. 
Article 8 
A list reflecting the present situation as regards rail loading 
and/or unloading stations based on information supplied 
by the Contracting Parties, is annexed to this Agreement. 
This list shall in particular indicate, for each station used 
for combined transport, in the framework of this 
Agreement, the equipment at its disposal for handling road 
vehicles. Any plans under consideration by the Contracting 
Party directly concerned which entail an alternation to this 
list shall be communicated, before they are implemented, to 
the ECMT Secretariat, which shall inform the other 
Contracting Parties thereof. 
The ECMT Secretariat shall regularly consult all the 
competent authorities in the Contracting Parties and shall 
update the list on the basis of these consultations. 
Article 9 
1. If the operation of this Agreement or the measures 
taken under Article 6 or any differences with regard to 
planned alterations to the list of stations referred to in 
Article 8 should so require, each Contracting Party may 
request that a meeting of the parties to the Agreement be 
convened for the purpose of examining the solutions 
proposed. 
2. Requests to convene a meeting, as referred to in 
paragraph 1, shall be submitted to the ECMT Secretariat. 
3. The ECMT Secretariat shall immediately inform the 
other Contracting Parties of any requests under para­
graph 2; unless such a request for convening a meeting is 
withdrawn within four weeks the ECMT Secretariat shall, 
at the end of this period, fix the date and place of the 
meeting on behalf of the chairman in office since the last 
plenary meeting. 
4. The chairman of the meetings referred to in para­
graph 1 shall be provided alternately by the European 
Economic Community and another Contracting Party 
designated for this purpose. 
6. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 30/5 
Article 10 
The provisions of Article 3 shall not apply where more 
liberal treatment is provided for by agreements or other 
arrangements concluded between two or more Contracting 
Parties before or after this Agreement enters into force. 
SECTION V 
Approval or ratification of the Agreement 
Article 11 
1. This Agreement shall be drawn up in a single copy, in 
French. It shall be deposited in the archives of the ECMT 
Secretariat, which shall transmit a certified copy to each of 
the Contracting Parties. 
2. This Agreement shall be approved or ratified by the 
Contracting Parties in accordance with their own pro­
cedures. The instruments of approval or ratification shall 
be deposited by the Contracting Parties with the Secretariat 
of the ECMT. 
3. In addition to the signatory Contracting Parties, each 
State which is a member of the ECMT within the meaning 
of Article 4(1) of the Protocol of that Conference may 
accede to this Agreement, once it has entered into force, in 
accordance with the Contracting Party's own procedures. 
The instruments of accession shall be deposited with the 
Secretariat of the ECMT which shall inform the other 
Contracting Parties. 
4. Once four Contracting Parties, of which the European 
Economic Community shall be one, have approved or 
ratified it, this Agreement shall enter into force on the first 
day of the third month following the date on which the 
instrument of approval or ratification is deposited. 
5. The Agreement shall enter into force, for each 
Contracting Party which approves, ratifies or accedes to it 
after the entry into force provided for under paragraph 3, 
on the first day of the third month following the date on 
which the Contracting Party concerned has deposited its 
instrument of approval, ratification or accession with the 
ECMT Secretariat. 
SECTION VI 
Duration of the Agreement 
Article 12 
1. This Agreement shall be concluded for a period of five 
years from its entry into force. The duration of the 
Agreement shall automatically be extended for successive 
periods of five years, unless four Contracting Parties, of which the European Economic Community shall be one, 
revoke it. 
2. Each Contracting Party may, for its part, revoke this 
Agreement with one year's notice as from 1 January, even 
after it has been extended, by simultaneous notification of 
the other Contracting Parties through the ECMT Secre­
tariat. However, the Agreement cannot be revoked during 
the first three years following its entry into force as 
provided for under Article 11(4). 
Article 13 
1. After this Agreement has been in force for three years 
under the conditions set out in Article 11, any Contracting 
Party may, by means of a notification addressed to the 
ECMT Secretariat, request the convening of a conference 
for the purpose of revising the Agreement. The Secretariat 
shall immediately inform the other Contracting Parties of 
the request and fix the date and place of the conference in 
agreement with the latter and convene this conference at 
the earliest possible date. The chairmanship at these 
conferences shall be subject to the provisions of Ar­
ticle 9(4), mutatis mutandis. 
2. The provisions of Article 11 shall apply to the approval 
or ratification of the revision of the Agreement agreed 
between all the Contracting Parties, and to the entry into 
force of the revised version. 
In witness whereof, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have 
affixed their signatures below this Agreement. 
Done at ..., (date) 
For the Council of the European Communities 
For the Government of the Republic of Finland 
For the Government of the Kingdom of Norway 
For the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden 
For the Swiss Federal Council 
For the Federal Executive Council of the Assembly of the 
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 
No C 30/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 2. 89 
PROTOCOL 
concerning the application of Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory of the European Economic 
Community 
1. The Contracting Parties hereby take note that, in the case of the EEC, the conditions of 
application of the liberalization measures provided for in Article 3 (2) (b) of the Agreement are 
as follows: 
— for a national road haulage operation, road traction is effected by a road vehicle registered: 
— in the country where the loading station is located, for the initial road haulage operation, 
and 
— in the country where the unloading is located, for the terminal road haulage operation; 
— for an international road haulage operation, road traction is effected by a road vehicle 
registered: 
— in the country where the point of loading or the loading station is located, for the initial 
road haulage operation, and 
— in the country where the point of unloading or the unloading station is located, for the 
terminal road haulage operation. 
2. A road vehicle registered in a Member State of the European Economic Community and 
authorized under Community law to effect initial and terminal road transport operations in the 
Member States referred to in the first paragraph 1 of this Protocol shall be deemed to fulfil the 
requirements laid down in that paragraph. 
PROTOCOL 
concerning rules applicable to combined transport operations to or from Yugoslavia, as well 
as in transit through that country 
The Contracting Parties: 
— taking into consideration the present situation as regards combined transport operations 
carried out on traffic links to or from Yugoslavia, as well as in transit through its territory, 
— have agreed upon the following provisions, which are annexed to the Agreement: 
1. By way of derogation from Article 3 of the Agreement, the initial and terminal road 
operations carried out on Yugoslav territory to or from the station of Ljubljana shall be free 
of all authorizations and quota restrictions within the geographical area shown on the map 
attached, which forms an integral part of this Protocol. 
2. The initial and terminal road journeys referred to in the preceding paragraph shall be limited 
to one road train operation on the outward and return journeys between two rail operations. 
3. The initial and terminal road operations on Yugoslav territory outside the zone as shown on 
the attached map shall be subject to authorization and quota restrictions in accordance with 
the provisions of Yugoslav regulations or bilateral agreements entered into by Yugoslavia. 
4. The restrictions in this Protocol shall not apply to the carriage of containers as defined in 
Article 2 of the Agreement. 
6. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 30/7 
LIBERALIZED AREA AROUND LJUBLJANA STATION 
(Note The Ihrskaa3istrica-Ri)eka and Razdrto-Koper sections are included temporarily until work on the railway line, to allow 
the carriage of road vehicles, has been completed) 
No C 30/8 Official Journal of the European Communities 6. 2. 89 
FINAL ACT 
The plenipotentiaries of: 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF FINLAND, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF NORWAY, 
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF SWEDEN, 
THE SWISS FEDERAL COUNCIL, 
THE FEDERAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST FEDERAL REPUBLIC 
OF YUGOSLAVIA, 
Meeting at ..., on ... 
For the signing of the Agreement on the international combined road/rail carriage of goods (ATC) 
have, on signing that Agreement, taken note of, and adopted, the following Declarations which are 
annexed to this Final Act: 
1. Joint declaration on cross-frontier cooperation on combined transport; 
2. Joint declaration concerning the responsibilities of the European Conference of Ministers of 
Transport; 
3. Joint declaration on the Protocol concerning the application of Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory 
of the European Economic Community; 
4. Declaration by the Swiss Federal Council relating to the Protocol concerning the application of 
Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory of the European Economic Community. 
Done at ..., (date) 
For the Council of the European Communities 
For the Government of the Republic of Finland 
For the Government of the Kingdom of Norway 
For the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden 
For the Swiss Federal Council 
For the Federal Executive Council of the Assembly of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia 
JOINT DECLARATION 
on cross-frontier cooperation on combined transport 
Within the framework of this Agreement, and in order to rationalize and promote combined 
transport, the States concerned shall consult one another on any plans to set up new stations which 
6. 2. 89 Official Journal of the European Communities No C 30/9 
could result in the crossing of a frontier by road in the course of an international road/rail 
combined transport operation. If one of the States concerned is a Member State of the European 
Economic Community, a representative of that Community shall also be invited to attend the 
consultations. 
JOINT DECLARATION 
concerning the responsibilities of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport 
The Contracting Parties and the Secretary-General of the European Conference of Ministers of 
Transport hereby agree that the Secretariat of the ECMT shall carry out the tasks assigned to it 
under the Agreement. 
JOINT DECLARATION 
on the Protocol concerning the application of Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory of the European 
Economic Community 
The Contracting Parties hereby declare that, at the request of one of the Contracting Parties, they 
will examine the impact of Community law relating to the freedom to provide transport services on 
the implementation of the Agreement and, where appropriate, the adoption of measures in 
accordance with the procedures provided for in Article 13. 
DECLARATION 
by the Swiss Federal Council relating to the Protocol concerning the application of 
Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory of the European Economic Community 
Concerning this Agreement, the Swiss Federal Council's starting point is that the Protocol 
concerning the application of Article 3 (2) (b) in the territory of the European Economic 
Community has no other purpose but to allow the Council of the European Communities a 
transitional phase until Article 3 (2) (b) can be fully applied. 
ANNEX 
LIST OF STATIONS 0) 
(!) See page 11 of this Official Journal.