ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)389
Vol.1979/0138

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)389 final
Brussels *19th ;July 1979
RECOMMENDATION FOR ACOUNCIL DECISION
AUTHORIZING THECOMMISSION TOPARTICIPATE ONBEHALF
OFTHEEUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY INNEGOTIATIONS
FORTHE CONCLUSION OFACONVENTION ON
INTERNATIONAL MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT
(presented bytheCommission totheCouncil )
|î-"7 ^ -j"j .
Vs '^.-P
C0MC79 )389 final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Introduction ■,•.
%
AnIntergovernmental Preparatory GroupwithintheUnitedNationsConfe­
renceonTradeandDevelopment (UNCTAD)wasinstructedtodrawupapreli­
minarydraftConvention onInternational Multimodal Transport.After
sixmeetingsthisgrouppresented adraftdocumenttotheTradeand
Development Board.Thelatterdecidedatitstenthspecialsessionin.
March1979tohaveaUnitedNationsConference convenedatthebeginning
ofNovember1979,andifnecessaryreconvened,tonegotiatetheConvention
PurposeandscopeoftheConvention
1,»■.
TheConvention concernsinternational multimodaltransport/i.e.,the
carriageofgoodsbynotlessthantwodifferent modesoftransportunder
amultimodaltransportagreement fromapointinonecountrywherethe
goods,areacceptedbythemultimodalcarriertoapointdesignatedfor
ι
deliveryinadifferentcountry.TheConvention thuscontainsprovisions
concerning themultimodaltransport document,itscontentandvalueas,
evidence,theliabilityofmultimodaltransportoperators,theliability
ofconsignors andtherightsandinterestsoftheparties.
Italsocontainsprovisionsprovidingfortheuseofacustomstransit
procedureformultimodaltransportoperations andlaysdownanumberof:
guidelinesinaccordancewithwhichthecustomstransitprocedures must
beconducted.Theseguidelines concerninparticular :
-freedomoftransitofgoodsc.arri.edmultimodally ;
-theextentofcustomsinspectionofsuchgoods;:"1
-'customsclearancefacilitiesatthedestination;
-exemptionfromdutiesandtaxes;,: ,
-guarantees; • \
• , \••-thecustomstransitdocument.•, )

Thecomposition oftheConventionissuchthatitcomprisesartoperative
partgoverningtherelationships underprivatelawbetweentheparties
toaMultimodaltransportcontract,andinadditionprovisionsofpublic
law,includingaconsiderable numberofprovisionsoncustomsBatters.
Communitypowbrs ,' .• ;–
Considered fromthepointofviewoftheguidelines oncustomstransit
procedurescontainedintheConvention,theCommunityisundoubtedly
empoweredtonegotiateandconcludethisConvention.-Infact/since
1January1970CouncilRegulation (EEC)No542/69Of18March1969(1),
laterreplacedbyCouncilRegulation (EEC)No222/77of13December1976
(2),haveregulatedaCommunitytransitprocedurelayingdowncustomsrul
governingthemovement'ofgoodsin^Communityterritory.
Accordingly,whereundertakings assumedatinternational levelareliable
tointerferewithCommunitytransitrulesortolessentheirscopeor
i....application,theymaybenegotiatedonlyatCommunitylevel.'Itis
essentialtherefore'thataclausebeinsertedinitpermittingthe,,
Communitytobecomeacontractingparty.Itshouldbenoted,furthermore,
thattheConventioninquestionisundeniably'designedto,facilitate
thetransportofgoodsfusingmorethanonemeans.Itwiltcontribute
thereforetothe.growthofworldtrade.v;1;>.
TothatendthewordingbelowbasedonthatcontainedinadraftConven­
tion(of25April1979)oftheEconomicCommissionforEuropeonatmos­
phericpollutioncouldbeadopted:
"ThisConventionshallalsobeopenforsignatureoraccessionbyregio­
naleconomicintegrationorganizations constituted bysovereignState.
membersoftheUNCTADwhichhavecompetenceinrespectofthenegotiation
conclusionandapplicationofinternational agreementsinmatterscovered
bythepresent .Convention.. ■''?' ■;V \:
•• - .
(1)0JNoL77of29.3.1969,p.1 -hr'/ :
(2)0JNO'L38of9.2.1977,p.1.' 'f.

-3-
Inmatterswithintheircompetence,suchregionaleconomic'integration
organizationsshall,ontheirbehalf,exercisetherights,andfulfil
theresponsibilities whichthepresentConventionattributestotheir
MemberStates.InsuchcasestheMemberStatesoftheorganizationsshall
notbeentitledtoexercisesuchrightsindividually."
Itisalsoimportant,furthermore,thatprovisionbem.>d«<intheConven*
tionthatcontractingpartieswhichconstitutearegional'economicinte- ■
grationorganizationmayagreethattheirterritoriesberegardeda*a
.singleterritory * _
TheCommunityshouldalsobeaccorded,withinthetodiesinwhichthe'
Conventionwillbenegotiated,ahigherstatusthanthatofa-reobser­
ver.ReferencecouldbemarieirSthisconnectiontothecVrcu-'.t»nceu ,
inwhichtl.tCommunitywaspermittedtonegotiatevariousagree-nt*cr,
basicproductswithintheUnitedNationsOrganization,andtotherigM,.
ConferredontheCommissionrepresentativetoactasspokesman -forth«»
CommunityanditsMemberStatesduringtheworkoftheConferenceonthe
revisionoftheTIRConvention *
Asregardsthe"transport"aspectsofthedraftConvention,theCommissionwill
prepareaproposalfora'CouncilDecisionenvisagingcommonactionbytheMembe
StatesinaccordancewithArticle116oftheYreaty. >
'LfQ-ilbasis' i ' '■■■.
Bearinginmindthe\
•'customs"aspectsoftheConvention'onInternational *ultTransport,■
Article113ofthe.Treatywouldappeartobethemost•#:*-propr*at«provision
tobeusedasabasisforthenegotiationandconcluticnofthi*Convention .
bytheCommunity. 'v
Conclusions >
TheCommissionrecommends,pursuanttoArticle113ofthe.rtjty,t«.»
theCouncilauthorizeitottakepart.inth.negotiationofu.Convention
onInternational MultimodalTransport.

Representations willhavetobemadetotheSecretariat Generalof
UNCTADinordertodemonstrate beyonddoubtthattheCommunityhas
competenceinrespectofmatterscoveredbytheConventionaswellas
theexclusivepowerofnegotiationconferredinthisparticularcase
ontheCommission bytheTreaty.
Thepurposeofsuchrepresentations shouldbetoensurethatthe
Communityisinvited,,witharighttovote,totheUnitedNations
ConferenceatwhichtheConventionistobenegociated.

< vRecommendation
_ ... . _ .
for aCouncil Decision
authorizing theCommission toparticipate onbehalf ofthe
•European Economic Community innegociat ions' fortheconclusion k |
ofaConvention onInternational Multimodal Transport
\ f'
_____ ^ . '' ' \
THE COUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,,
• ' ' ' ,
i >■ . .*' i
.1 .· »
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community , .
and inparticular Article 113thereof , ,' ■
Having regard totherecommendation bythe Commission /
wherea sadiplomatic conference istobeconvened atthebeginning of
November 1979 within theUnited Nations Conference onTrade andDevelop - : -'
ment todraw upaConvention onInternational Multimodal Transport ;
Whereas thedraft ofthat Convention contains among others anumbed ofprovisions
concerning guidelines oncustoms transit questions , „>
Whereas customs transit isgoverned byrules adopted atCommunity level ...
andconsequently falls within theCommunity 'sowncompetence .
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION :
Sole article
Asregards customs aspects theCommission ishereby authorized toparticipate on
behalf oftheCommunity ,within theUnited Nations Conference onTrade andDeve­
lopment ,inthenegotiations f6rtheconclusion ofaConvention onInternational
Multimodal Transport .v . - ' ' -

\
Itshallconductthesenegotiations withtheaidofaspecialcommittee
composedofrepresentativescftheMemberStatesandinaccordancewith
thedirectivesannexedheretoandwithsuchdirectivesasir.aybeissued
toItsubsequently .
DoneatBrussels .,
FortheCouncil
ThePresident

DIRECTIVES ISSUEDBYTWsCOUNCIL TOTH£COMMISSION
TheCommission shallendeavourtoensurethatthedraftConvention on
International MultimodcJTransport i"consistent *»iththeprovisions
adoptedbytheCommunityinrespectofcustomstransitand/inparticular
withthose'containedinCouncilRsg-jlation(SEONc222/77of13December
1976.
ThedraftConvention mustcontainprovisions enablina theEuropean
EconomicCommunitytobecomeacontractingpartytheretoandtobereco­
gnizedasconstituting asingletsrritory.TheCommissionsKalltake
stepstoensurethatwithinthosebodiesinwhichtheConventionis
negotiateditisaccorded#st*H:shigherthanfch-atofobserver.-