Agreement on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus (Interbus Agreement)
Date: 2000-09-28
Institutions: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, European Community, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Türkiye
Subjects: bus, carriage of passengers, international transport, multilateral agreement

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AGREEMENT

on the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus

(Interbus Agreement)

THE CONTRACTING PARTIES:

Having regard to the desire to promote the development of international transport in Europe and especially to facilitate
the organisation and operation thereof,

Having regard to the desire to facilitate tourism and cultural exchange between the Contracting Parties,

Whereas:

The Agreement on the international carriage of passengers by road by means of occasional coach and bus services
(ASOR), signed in Dublin on 26 May 1982 does not provide for any scope for the accession of new Parties.

The experience and the liberalisation achieved by this latter Agreement should be maintained.

It is desirable to provide for harmonised liberalisation of certain international occasional services by coach and bus and
the transit operations thereof.

It is desirable to provide for certain harmonised rules of procedure for non-liberalised international occasional services,
that are thus still subject to authorisation.

It is necessary to provide for a high degree of harmonisation of the technical conditions applying to buses and coaches
carrying out international occasional services between Contracting Parties in order to improve road safety and protection
of the environment.

It is necessary that Contracting Parties should apply uniform measures concerning the work of the crews of buses and
coaches engaged in international road transport.

It is desirable to provide for harmonisation of the conditions for access to the occupation of road passenger transport
operator.

The principle of non-discrimination on grounds of nationality or the place of establishment of the transport operator,
and of the origin or destination of the bus or coach, should be considered to be a basic condition applying to the provi-
sion of international transport services.

It is necessary to provide for uniform models for transport documents such as the control document for liberalised occa-
sional services and also the authorisation and the application form for non-liberalised services in order to facilitate and
simplify inspection procedures.

It is necessary to provide for certain harmonised measures on the enforcement of the Agreement, especially as far as
control procedures, penalties and mutual assistance are concerned.

It is appropriate to establish certain procedures for the management of the Agreement in order to ensure proper enforce-
ment and to permit some technical adaptation of the Annexes.

The Agreement should be open for accession to future members of the European Conference of Ministers of Transport
and to certain other European countries,

HAVE DECIDED to establish uniform rules for the international occasional carriage of passengers by coach and bus, and

HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:

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SECTION I

SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

Article 1

Scope

1.

This Agreement shall apply:

(a) to the international carriage of passengers, of any nation-

ality, by road by means of occasional services:

— between the territories of two Contracting Parties, or
the same
starting and finishing on the territory of
Contracting Party and, should the need arise during
such services, in transit through the territory of another
Contracting Party or through the territory of a non-
Contracting State,

— carried out by transport operators for hire or reward
established in a Contracting Party in accordance with its
law and holding a licence to undertake carriage by
means of international occasional services by coach and
bus,

— using buses and coaches registered in the Contracting

Party where the transport operator is established;

(b) to unladen journeys of the buses and coaches concerned

with these services.

2.
None of the provisions of this Agreement may be inter-
preted as providing the possibility of operating national occa-
sional services in the territory of a Contracting Party by opera-
tors established in another Contracting Party.

3.
The use of buses and coaches designed to carry passen-
gers for the transport of goods for commercial purposes shall
be excluded from the scope of this Agreement.

This Agreement does not concern own-account occa-

4.
sional services.

Article 2

Non-discrimination

Contracting Parties shall ensure that the principle of non-discri-
mination on the grounds of the nationality or the place of
establishment of the transport operator, and of the origin or
destination of the bus or coach, is applied, in particular with
regard to fiscal provisions as established in section VI, as well
as control and penalties as established in section IX.

Article 3

Definitions

For the purposes of this Agreement, the following definitions
shall apply:

1.

‘buses and coaches’ are vehicles which, by virtue of their
construction and their equipment, are suitable for carrying
including the driver, and are
more than nine persons,
intended for that purpose;

2.

3.

4.

‘international occasional services’ are services between the
territory of at least two Contracting Parties falling within
neither the definition of regular services or special regular
services nor the definition of a shuttle service. Such services
may be operated with some degree of frequency without
thereby ceasing to be occasional services;

‘regular services’ are services which provide for the carriage
of passengers according to a specified frequency and along
specified routes, whereby passengers may be taken up or set
down at predetermined stopping points. Regular services
can be subject to the obligation to respect previously estab-
lished timetables and tariffs;

‘special regular services’ are services, by whomsoever orga-
nised, which provide for the carriage of specified categories
of passengers to the exclusion of other passengers, in so far
as such services are operated under the conditions specified
in point 3. Special regular services shall include:

— the carriage of workers between home and work,

— the carriage of school pupils and students to and from

the educational institution.

that a special

regular service may be varied
The fact
according to the needs of users shall not affect its classifica-
tion as a regular service;

5. 1.

‘shuttle services’ are services whereby, by means of
repeated outward and return journeys, previously formed
groups of passengers are carried from a single place of
departure to a single destination. Each group, consisting
of the passengers who made the outward journey, shall
be carried back to the place of departure on a later
journey by the same transport operator.

Place of departure and destination shall mean, respec-
tively, the place where the journey begins and the place
where the journey ends, together with, in each case, the
surrounding localities within a radius of 50 km;

2.

in the course of shuttle services, no passenger may be
taken up or set down during the journey;

3. the first return journey and the last outward journey in a

series of shuttles shall be made unladen;

4. however, the classification of a transport operation as a
shuttle service shall not be affected by the fact that, with
the agreement of
in the
Contracting Party or Parties concerned:

the competent authorities

— passengers, notwithstanding the provisions of sub-
paragraph 1, make the return journey with another
group or another transport operator,

— passengers, notwithstanding the provisions of sub-
paragraph 2, are taken up or set down along the
way,

— the first outward journey and the last return journey
the series of shuttles are, notwithstanding the

of
provisions of subparagraph 3, made unladen;

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6.

Parties’

that have
‘Contracting
consented to be bound by this Agreement and for which
this Agreement is in force.

signatories

those

are

This Agreement applies to those territories where the Treaty
establishing the European Community is applied and under
the conditions laid down in that Treaty and to BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA, BULGARIA, CROATIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC,
ESTONIA, HUNGARY,
LITHUANIA, MOLDOVA,
POLAND, ROMANIA, SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA and TURKEY, as
far as they have concluded this Agreement;

LATVIA,

7.

‘competent authorities’ are those authorities designated by
the Member States of the Community and by the other
Contracting Parties to carry out the tasks set out in sections
V, VI, VII, VIII and IX of this Agreement;

8.

‘transit’ means the part of a transport operation through the
territory of a Contracting Party without passengers being
picked up or set down.

SECTION II

CONDITIONS APPLYING TO ROAD PASSENGER TRANSPORT
OPERATORS

Article 4

Contracting Parties which have not yet done so shall
to those established by the

1.
apply provisions equivalent
European Community Directive referred to in Annex 1.

Concerning the condition on the appropriate financial
2.
standing referred to in Article 3(3) of
such Directive,
Contracting Parties may apply a minimum available capital and
reserves lower than the amount established in point (c) of the
said paragraph 3, up to the date of 1 January 2003 or even to
1 January 2005 under condition in the latter case that a corre-
sponding declaration be made at the time of the ratification of
the Agreement, without prejudice to the provisions included in
the Europe Agreement establishing an association between the
European Communities and their Member States and certain
Contracting Parties to the present Agreement.

SECTION III

SECTION IV

ACCESS TO THE MARKET

Article 6

Liberalised occasional services

The following occasional services shall be exempted from
authorisation on the territory of any Contracting Party other
than that in which the transport operator is established:

1. closed-door tours, that is to say services whereby the same
bus or coach is used to carry the same group of passengers
throughout the journey and to bring them back to the place
of departure. The place of departure is in the territory of the
Contracting Party in which the transport operator is estab-
lished;

2. services which make the outward journey laden and the
return journey unladen. The place of departure is in the
territory of the Contracting Party in which the transport
operator is established;

3. services during which the outward journey is made unladen
and all the passengers are taken up in the same place,
provided that one of the following conditions is met:

(a) passengers constitute groups, on the territory of a non-
Contracting Party or of a Contracting Party other than
that in which the transport operator is established or
that where the passengers are taken up, that have been
formed under contracts of carriage made before their
in the territory of the latter Contracting Party.
arrival
Passengers are carried on the territory of the Contracting
Party in which the transport operator is established;

(b) passengers have been previously brought, by the same
transport operator in the circumstances provided for
under point 2, into the territory of the Contracting Party
where they are taken up again and carried into the terri-
tory of the Contracting Party in which the transport
operator is established;

(c) passengers have been invited to travel into the territory
of another Contracting Party, the cost of transport being
borne by the person issuing the invitation. Such passen-
gers must constitute a homogeneous group, which has
not been formed solely with a view to undertaking that
particular journey and which is brought into the terri-
tory of the Contracting Party in which the transport
operator is established.

TECHNICAL CONDITIONS APPLYING TO VEHICLES

The following shall also be exempted from authorisation:

Article 5

The buses and coaches used to carry out the international occa-
sional services covered by this Agreement shall comply with
the technical standards laid down in Annex 2.

4. transit operations

through the territory of Contracting
Parties in conjunction with occasional services that are
exempted from authorisation;

5. unladen buses and coaches to be used exclusively for the
replacement of a bus or a coach damaged or broken down,
while performing an international service covered by this
Agreement.

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For services provided by transport operators established within
the European Community, the points of departure and/or desti-
nation of the services can be in any Member State of the
European Community, independently of the Member State in
which the bus or coach is registered or the Member State in
which the transport operator is established.

The fuel for buses and coaches, contained in the fuel
3.
tanks established by the manufacturer for this purpose, and in
any case not more than 600 litres, as well as the lubricants
contained in buses and coaches for the sole purpose of their
operation, shall be exempted from import duties and any other
taxes and payments imposed in other Contracting Parties.

Article 7

Non-liberalised occasional services

1.
Occasional services other than those referred to in Article
6 shall be subject to authorisation in accordance with Article
15.

2.
For services provided by transport operators established
within the European Community, the points of departure and/
or destination of the services can be in any Member State of
the European Community, independently of the Member State
in which the bus or coach is registered or the Member State in
which the transport operator is established.

SECTION V

SOCIAL PROVISIONS

Article 8

The Contracting Parties to this Agreement which have not yet
done so shall accede to the European Agreement concerning
the work of crews of vehicles engaged in international road
transport (AETR) of 1 July 1970, as subsequently amended, or
shall apply Community Regulations (EEC) No 3820/85 and
(EEC) No 3821/85 as in force at the entry into force of this
Agreement.

SECTION VI

CUSTOM AND FISCAL PROVISIONS

Article 9

1.
Buses and coaches that are engaged in transport opera-
tions in accordance with this Agreement shall be exempted
from all vehicle taxes and charges levied on the circulation or
possession of vehicles as well as from all special
taxes or
charges levied on transport operations in the territory of the
other Contracting Parties.

Buses and coaches shall not be exempted from payment of
taxes and charges on motor fuel, value added tax on transport
services, road tolls and user charges levied on the use of infra-
structure.

2.
Contracting Parties shall ensure that tolls and any other
form of user charges may not be imposed at the same time for
the use of a single road section. However, Contracting Parties
may also impose tolls on networks where user charges are
levied, for the use of bridges, tunnels and mountain passes.

4.
The Joint Committee established in Article 23 will draft a
list of the taxes concerning road transport of passengers by bus
and coach levied in each Contracting Party. This list will indi-
cate the taxes falling under the provisions of paragraph 1, first
subparagraph, of this Article that can only be levied in the
Contracting Party of registration of the vehicle. This list will
also indicate the taxes falling under the provisions of paragraph
1, second subparagraph, of this Article that may be levied in
Contracting Parties other than the Contracting Party of registra-
tion of the vehicle. Contracting Parties which replace any tax
included in the lists referred to with another tax of the same or
a different kind shall notify the Joint Committee in order to
make the necessary amendments.

5.
Spare parts and tools imported for the repair of a
damaged bus or coach while performing an international road
transport operation shall be exempted from customs duty and
from all taxes and charges at the time of importation into the
territory of the other Contracting Party under the conditions
laid down in its provisions concerning temporary admission of
such goods. The spare parts which are replaced should be re-
exported or destroyed under the control of the competent
customs authority of the other Contracting Party.

SECTION VII

CONTROL DOCUMENTS

FOR OCCASIONAL
EXEMPTED FROM AUTHORISATION

SERVICES

Article 10

The provision of services referred to in Article 6 shall be
carried out under cover of a control document issued by the
competent authorities or by any duly authorised agency of the
Contracting Party in which the transport operator is estab-
lished.

Article 11

The

control document

1.
consist of detachable
passenger waybills in duplicate in books of 25. The control
document shall conform to the model shown in Annex 3 to
this Agreement.

shall

2.
Each book and its component passenger waybills shall
bear a number. The passenger waybills shall also be numbered
consecutively, running from 1 to 25.

3.
The wording on the cover of the book and that on the
passenger waybills shall be printed in the official language or
several official languages of the Contracting Party in which the
transport operator is established.

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Article 12

Article 16

1.
The book referred to in Article 11 shall be made out in
the name of the transport operator; it shall not be transferable.

Application for authorisation

The top copy of the passenger waybill shall be kept on

2.
the bus or coach throughout the journey to which it refers.

The transport operator shall be responsible for seeing that

3.
passenger waybills are duly and correctly completed.

Article 13

1.
The passenger waybill shall be completed in duplicate by
the transport operator for each journey before the start of the
journey.

2.
For the purpose of providing the names of passengers,
the transport operator may use a previously completed list on
a separate sheet, which shall be annexed to the passenger
waybill. The transport operator's stamp or, where appropriate,
the transport operator's signature or that of the driver of the
bus or coach shall be placed both on the list and on the
passenger waybill.

3.
For the services involving an outward unladen journey
the list of passengers may be
referred to in Article 6(3),
completed as provided for in paragraph 2 at the time when the
passengers are taken up.

Article 14

The competent authorities of two or more Contracting Parties
may agree that the list of passengers need not be drawn up. In
that case, the number of passengers must be shown on the
control document.

The Joint Committee established in Article 23 shall be informed
of these agreements.

SECTION VIII

AUTHORISATION FOR NON-LIBERALISED OCCASIONAL
SERVICES

Article 15

1.
An authorisation for each occasional service which has
not been liberalised under the provisions of Article 6 shall be
issued, in mutual agreement by the competent authorities of
the Contracting Parties where passengers are picked up or set
down as well as by the competent authorities of
the
Contracting Parties crossed in transit. When the point of depar-
the
ture or destination is situated in a Member State of
European Community, the transit through other Member States
of the Community will not be subject to authorisation.

The authorisation shall conform to the model laid down

2.
in Annex 5.

The application for authorisation shall be submitted by
1.
the transport operator to the competent authorities of the
Contracting Party on whose territory the point of departure is
situated.

Applications shall conform to the model laid down in Annex
4.

2.
Transport operators shall fill in the application form and
is licensed to perform
attach evidence that
carriage by means of international occasional services by coach
and bus referred to in Article 1(1)(a), second indent.

the applicant

The competent authorities of the Contracting Party in
3.
whose territory the place of departure is situated shall examine
the application for authorisation of the service concerned and,
in the case of its approval, shall forward it to the competent
authorities of the Contracting Party(ies) of destination as well as
the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties in transit.

4.
As a derogation from Article 15(1), Contracting Parties
whose territories are crossed in transit may decide that their
agreement is no longer necessary for services envisaged in this
section. In this case, the Joint Committee established in Article
23 shall be informed of this decision.

The competent authorities of the Contracting Party(ies)
5.
whose agreement has been requested shall issue the authorisa-
tion within one month, without discrimination as to the
nationality or place of establishment of the transport operator.
If these authorities do not agree on the terms of the authorisa-
the
tion they shall
Contracting Party(ies) concerned of the relevant reasons.

inform the competent authorities of

Article 17

The competent authorities of two or more Contracting Parties
may agree to simplify the authorisation procedure, the model
of application for authorisation and the model of authorisation
for
carried out between these
Contracting Parties. The Joint Committee established in Article
23 shall be informed of these agreements.

the occasional

services

SECTION IX

CONTROLS, PENALTIES AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

Article 18

The control documents referred to in Article 10 and the
authorisations referred to in Article 15 shall be carried on the
bus or coach and shall be presented at the request of any
authorised inspecting officer.

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Article 19

The competent authorities in the Contracting Parties shall
ensure that transport operators comply with the provisions of
this Agreement.

Article 20

A certified true copy of the licence to perform carriage by
means of international occasional services by bus and coach
referred to in Article 1(1)(a), second indent, shall be kept on
the bus or coach and shall be presented at the request of any
authorised inspecting officer.

The Joint Committee established in Article 23 shall be informed
about the models of such a document issued by the competent
authorities of the Contracting Parties.

Article 21

The competent authorities of the Contracting Parties shall lay
down a system of penalties for breaching this Agreement. The
penalties thus provided for shall be effective, proportionate and
dissuasive.

Contracting Parties where the transport operator is established
shall take the appropriate measures to avoid repetition of those
infringements; these measures may include the suspension or
the withdrawal of the licence to practise as a road passenger
transport operator. The Joint Committee established in Article
23 shall be informed of such measures.

Contracting Parties shall guarantee the right of the trans-

4.
port operator to appeal against the sanctions imposed.

SECTION X

THE JOINT COMMITTEE

Article 23

1.
In order to facilitate the management of this Agreement,
a Joint Committee is hereby established. This Committee shall
be made up of representatives of the Contracting Parties.

The Joint Committee shall meet for the first time within

2.
six months of the entry into force of this Agreement.

The Joint Committee shall establish its own Rules of

3.
Procedure.

Article 22

The Joint Committee shall meet at the request of at least

4.
one Contracting Party.

1. Where serious or repeated infringements of regulations
concerning road transport, especially those concerning driving
and resting time and road safety, have been committed by non-
resident transport operators and might lead to withdrawal of
the licence to practise as a road passenger transport operator,
the competent authorities of the Contracting Party concerned
shall provide the competent authorities of the Contracting Party
in which such a transport operator is established with all of the
information in their possession concerning those infringements
and the penalties that they have imposed.

2.
The competent authorities of the Contracting Party in
whose territory the serious or repeated infringement of regula-
tions concerning road transport, especially those concerning
driving and resting time and road safety have occurred, may
temporarily deny access for the transport operator concerned
to the territory of this contracting party.

As far as the European Community is concerned, the compe-
tent authority of a Member State may only temporarily deny
access to the territory of that Member State. Competent autho-
rities of the Contracting Party of establishment of the transport
operator and the Joint Committee established in Article 23 shall
be informed of such measures.

3. Where serious or repeated infringements of regulations
concerning road transport, especially those concerning driving
and resting time and road safety, have been committed by a
the
transport

competent

authorities

operator,

the

of

The Joint Committee may adopt decisions only when two
including the European

5.
thirds of
Community, are represented in the Joint Committee meetings.

the Contracting Parties,

6.
In so far as the Joint Committee is required to take deci-
sions, unanimity of the Contracting Parties represented shall be
required. In the event that unanimity cannot be achieved, the
competent authorities concerned shall, following a request by
one or more of the Contracting Parties concerned, meet for
consultation within a period of six weeks.

Article 24

1.
The Joint Committee shall ensure proper implementation
of this Agreement. The Committee will be informed of any
measure adopted or to be adopted in order to implement the
provisions of this Agreement.

2.

The Joint Committee shall in particular:

(a) on the basis of the information provided by the Contracting
Parties, draw up a list of competent authorities of the
Contracting Parties responsible for the tasks referred to in
sections V, VI VII, VIII and IX of this Agreement;

(b) amend or adapt the control documents and other models
of documents established in the Annexes to this Agree-
ment;

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(c) amend or adapt the Annexes concerning the technical stan-
dards applying to buses and coaches, as well as Annex 1
regarding the conditions applying to road passenger trans-
port operators referred to in Article 4, in order to incorpo-
rate future measures taken within the European Commu-
nity;

(d) on the basis of the information provided by the Contracting
parties, draw up a list,
for information, of all customs
duties, taxes and charges referred to in Article 9(4) and (5);

(e) amend or adapt the requirements concerning the social
provisions referred to in Article 8 in order to incorporate
future measures taken within the European Community;

(f) resolve any dispute which may arise over the implementa-

tion and interpretation of this Agreement;

(g) recommend further steps towards the liberalisation of those

occasional services still subject to authorisation.

3.
The Contracting Parties shall take the measures necessary
to enforce any decisions adopted by the Joint Committee in
accordance, where necessary, with their own internal proce-
dures.

4.
If an agreement cannot be reached to settle a dispute in
accordance with paragraph 2(f) of this Article, the Contracting
Parties concerned may submit the case to an arbitration panel.
Each Contracting Party concerned shall appoint an arbitrator.
The Joint Committee itself shall also appoint an arbitrator.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 6 of Annex 2,
3.
the provisions of this Agreement shall replace those relevant
provisions of the agreements concluded between the Member
States of
the European Community and other Contracting
Parties.

However, the provisions granting an exemption from authori-
sation contained in existing bilateral agreements between
Member States of
the European Community and other
Contracting Parties for occasional services mentioned in Article
7 may be maintained and renewed.
the
Contracting Parties concerned will immediately inform the Joint
Committee established in Article 23.

In that

case,

Article 26

Signature

This Agreement shall be open for signature at Brussels from 14
April 2000 to 31 December 2000, at the General Secretariat of
the Council of the European Union which shall act as the
depository of the Agreement.

Article 27

The arbitrators' decisions shall be taken by majority vote.

Ratification or approval and depository of the Agreement

Contracting Parties involved in the dispute shall take the steps
required to implement the arbitrators' decisions.

This Agreement shall be approved or ratified by the signatories
in accordance with their own procedures. The instruments of
approval or ratification shall be deposited by Contracting
Parties with the General Secretariat of
the
European Union, which shall notify all other signatories.

the Council of

SECTION XI

GENERAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 25

Bilateral agreements

The provisions of this Agreement shall replace those rele-
1.
vant provisions of
concluded between
agreements
Contracting Parties. As far as the European Community is
concerned,
this provision applies to agreements concluded
between any Member State and a Contracting Party.

the

2.
Contracting Parties other than the European Community
may agree not to apply Article 5 of and Annex 2 to this Agree-
ment and apply other technical standards to buses and coaches
executing occasional services between these Contracting Parties
including transit of their territories.

Article 28

Entry into force

This Agreement shall enter into force for the Contracting
1.
Parties that have approved or ratified it, when four Contracting
Parties including the European Community have approved or
ratified it, on the first day of the third month following the date
on which the fourth instrument of approval or ratification is
deposited, or even on the first day of the sixth month, under
condition in the latter case that a corresponding declaration be
made at the time of the ratification of the Agreement.

shall

enter

into force,

This Agreement

2.
each
Contracting Party that approves or ratifies it after the entry into
force provided for in paragraph 1, on the first day of the third
month following the date on which the Contracting Party
concerned has deposited its instrument of approval or ratifica-
tion.

for

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Article 29

Duration of the Agreement — Evaluation of the func-
tioning of the Agreement

This Agreement shall be concluded for a period of five

1.
years, dating from its entry into force.

The duration of this Agreement shall be automatically
2.
extended for successive periods of
five years among those
Contracting Parties who do not express their wish not to do so.
In the latter case the Contracting Party concerned shall notify
the depository of its intention according to Article 31.

Before the end of each period of five years, the Joint

3.
Committee shall evaluate the functioning of this Agreement.

Article 30

Accession

1.
After its entry into force, this Agreement shall be open to
accession by countries which are full members of the European
Conference of Ministers of Transport (ECMT). In the event of
the accession to this Agreement by countries that are members
of the Agreement on the European Economic Area, this Agree-
ment shall not apply among the Contracting Parties of the
Agreement on the European Economic Area.

2.
This Agreement shall also be open to accession by the
Republic of San Marino, the Principality of Andorra and the
Principality of Monaco.

3.
For each State acceding to this Agreement after the entry
into force provided for in Article 28, the Agreement shall enter
into force on the first day of the third month after deposit by
such State of its instrument of accession.

4.
Each State acceding to this Agreement after the entry into
force provided for in Article 28 may be granted a period of
three years maximum for the adoption of provisions equivalent
to the directive(s) referred to in Annex 1. The Joint Committee
shall be informed of any such measures adopted.

the
ment. The Joint Committee shall also be informed of
reasons of the denunciation. However, the Agreement cannot
be denounced during the first four years which follow its entry
into force, as provided for under Article 28.

If the Agreement is denounced by one or more Contracting
Parties, and the number of Contracting Parties falls below the
number agreed for the original entry into force as provided for
in Article 28, the Agreement shall remain in force unless the
Joint Committee, comprising the remaining Contracting Parties,
decides otherwise.

Article 32

Termination

A Contracting Party that has acceded to the European Union
shall cease to be treated as a Contracting Party from the date of
such accession.

Article 33

Annexes

Annexes to this Agreement shall constitute an integral part
thereto.

Article 34

Languages

This Agreement, drawn up in the English, French and German
languages, these texts being authentic, shall be deposited in the
archives of
the
European Union, which shall transmit a certified true copy to
each of the Contracting Parties.

the General Secretariat of

the Council of

Article 31

Denunciation

Each Contracting Party shall ensure a proper translation of this
Agreement in its official language or official languages. A copy
of this translation shall be deposited in the archives of the
General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union.

A copy of all translations of the Agreement and the Annexes
will be sent by the Depository to all Contracting Parties.

Each Contracting Party may, for its part, denounce this Agree-
ment with one year's notice by simultaneous notification of the
other Contracting Parties through the Depository of the Agree-

IN WITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned plenipotentiaries have
signed this Agreement.

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Open for signature in Brussels between 14 April 2000 and 30 June 2001
Ouvert à la signature à Bruxelles entre le 14 avril 2000 et le 30 juin 2001
Liegt zwischen dem 14. April 2000 und 30. Juni 2001 in Brüssel zur Unterzeichnung auf

For the European Community
Pour la Communauté européenne
Für die Europäische Gemeinschaft

For Bosnia-Herzegovina
Pour la Bosnie-Herzégovine
Für Bosnien-Herzegowina

For the Republic of Bulgaria
Pour la République de Bulgarie
Für die Republik Bulgarien

For the Republic of Croatia
Pour la République de Croatie
Für die Republik Kroatien

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For the Czech Republic
Pour la République tchèque
Für die Tschechische Republik

For the Republic of Estonia
Pour la République d'Estonie
Für die Republik Estland

For the Republic of Hungary
Pour la République de Hongrie
Für die Republik Ungarn

For the Republic of Latvia
Pour la République de Lettonie
Für die Republik Lettland

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For the Republic of Lithuania
Pour la République de Lituanie
Für die Republik Litauen

For the Republic of Moldova
Pour la République de Moldova
Für die Republik Moldau

For the Republic of Poland
Pour la République de Pologne
Für die Republik Polen

For Romania
Pour la Roumanie
Für Rumänien

For the Slovak Republic
Pour la République slovaque
Für die Slowakische Republik

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For the Republic of Slovenia
Pour la République de Slovénie
Für die Republik Slowenien

For the Republic of Turkey
Pour la République de Turquie
Für die Republik Türkei

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ANNEX

ANNEX 1

The conditions applying to road passenger transport operators

The European Community Directive referred to in Article 4 is the following:

Council Directive 96/26/EC of 29 April 1996 on admission to the occupation of road haulage operator and road
passenger transport operator and mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualification
intended to facilitate for these operators the right to freedom of establishment in national and international transport
operations (Official Journal of the European Communities L 124, 23.5.1996, p. 1), as last amended by Council Directive 98/
76/EC of 1 October 1998 (Official Journal of the European Communities L 277, 14.10.1998 p. 17).

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ANNEX 2

Technical standards applying to buses and coaches

Article 1

As from the date of entry into force for each Contracting Party of the Interbus Agreement, buses and coaches carrying
out international occasional carriage of passengers shall comply with the rules established in the following legal texts:

(a) Council Directive 96/96/EC of 20 December 1996 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating
to roadworthiness tests for motor vehicles and their trailers (Official Journal of the European Communities L 46,
17.2.1997, p. 1);

(b) Council Directive 92/6/EEC of 10 February 1992 on the installation and use of speed limitation devices for certain
categories of motor vehicles in the Community (Official Journal of the European Communities L 57, 2.3.1992, p. 27);

(c) Council Directive 96/53/EC of 25 July 1996 laying down for certain road vehicles circulating within the Community
the maximum authorised dimensions in national and international traffic and the maximum authorised weights in
international traffic (Official Journal of the European Communities L 235, 17.9.1996, p. 59);

(d) Council Regulation (EEC) No 3821/85 of 20 December 1985 on recording equipment in road transport (Official
Journal of the European Communities L 370 of 31.12.1985, p. 8), as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No
2135/98 of 24.9.1998 (Official Journal of the European Communities L 274, 9.10.1998, p. 1) or equivalent rules estab-
lished by the AETR Agreement including its Protocols.

Article 2

As from the date of entry into force of the Interbus Agreement for each Contracting Party, Contracting Parties other than
the European Community shall comply, for buses and coaches carrying out international occasional carriage of passen-
gers, with the technical requirements of the following Community Directives or equivalent UN-ECE Regulations on
uniform provisions concerning the type-approval for new vehicles and their equipment.

Item

UN-ECE Regulation/last
amendment

EC Directive
(original — latest)

Date of implementation within
the EU

Exhaust emission

49/01
49/02, approval A
49/02, approval B

88/77
91/542 step 1
91/542 step 2
96/1

Smoke

Noise emission

24/03

51/02

Brake system

13/09

Tyres

Light installation

54

48/01

72/306

70/157
84/424
92/97

71/320
88/194
91/422
98/12

92/23

76/756
91/663
97/28

Article 3

1.10.1993
1.10.1996

2.8.1972

1.10.1989
1.10.1996

1.10.1991
1.10.1994

1.1.1993

1.1.1994

The buses and coaches carrying out the following services:

(a) services from any Member State of the Community (except Greece) to any Contracting Party of Interbus;

(b) services from any Contracting Party of Interbus to any Member State of the Community (except Greece);

(c) services from any Contracting Party of Interbus to Greece in transit through any other Member State of the Commu-

nity carried out by transport operators established in any Contracting Party of Interbus;

shall be subject to the following rules.

1. Buses and coaches first registered before 1 January 1980 cannot be used for the occasional services covered by the

Interbus Agreement.

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2. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1981 can be used only until 31

December 2000.

3. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1983 can be used only until 31

December 2001.

4. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1985 can be used only until 31

December 2002.

5. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 1987 can be used only until 31

December 2003.

6. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 1989 can be used only until

31.12.2004.

7. Only buses and coaches first registered as from 1 January 1990 (EURO 0) can be used from 1 January 2005.

8. Only buses and coaches first registered as from 1 October 1993 (EURO 1) can be used from 1 January 2007.

Article 4

Buses and coaches carrying out the following services:

(a) services from Greece to Contracting Parties of Interbus;

(b) services from Contracting Parties of Interbus to Greece;

shall be subject to the following rules:

1. Buses and coaches first registered before 1 January 1980 cannot be used for the occasional services covered by the

Interbus Agreement.

2. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1980 and 31 December 1981 can be used only until 31

December 2000.

3. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1983 can be used only until 31

December 2001.

4. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1984 and 31 December 1985 can be used only until 31

December 2003.

5. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1986 and 31 December 1987 can be used only until 31

December 2005.

6. Buses and coaches first registered between 1 January 1988 and 31 December 1989 can be used only until 31

December 2007.

7. Only buses and coaches first registered as from 1 January 1990 (EURO 0) can be used from 1 January 2008.

8. Only buses and coaches first registered as from 1 January 1993 (EURO 1) can be used from 1 January 2010.

Community buses and coaches used in bilateral traffic between Greece and other Member States of the Community in
transit through Contracting Parties of the Interbus Agreement are not covered by present rules on technical standards,
but are subject to European Community rules.

Article 5

Article 6

1.
The rules on technical standards included in bilateral agreements or arrangements between Member States of the
Community and Contracting Parties of the Interbus Agreement, concerning bilateral traffic and transit, which are stricter
than the rules established in this Agreement may be applied until 31 December 2006.

2. Member States of the Community and Contracting Parties of the Interbus Agreement concerned shall inform the
Joint Committee established in Article 23 of the Agreement on the contents of such bilateral agreements or arrange-
ments.

Article 7

1.
A document proving the date of the vehicle's first registration shall be kept on board and shall be presented at the
request of any authorised inspecting officer. For the purpose of this Annex, the terms ‘date of vehicle's first registration’
shall refer to the first registration of the vehicle after its manufacture. When this date of registration is not available, it
will be referred to as the date of construction.

2. Where the original bus engine has been replaced by a new engine, the document referred to in paragraph 1 of this
Article shall be substituted by a document proving the compliance of the new engine with the relevant type-approval
rules mentioned in Article 3.

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Article 8

1.
Notwithstanding the provision referred to in paragraph (a) of Article 1 of this Annex, Contracting Parties may
establish random inspections in order to control that the buses and coaches concerned comply with the provisions of
Directive 96/96/EC. For the purpose of this Annex ‘random inspections’ shall mean an unscheduled and therefore unex-
pected inspection of a bus or coach circulating on the territory of a Contracting Party carried out by the authorities at
the roadside.

2.
In order to carry out the roadside inspection provided for in this Annex, competent authorities of Contracting
Parties shall use the checklist included in Annex IIa and IIb. A copy of this checklist drawn up by the authority which
carried it out shall be given to the driver of the bus or coach and presented on request in order to simplify or avoid,
where possible, subsequent inspections within a short and unreasonable period.

3.
If the vehicle examiner considers that the deficiency in the maintenance of the bus or coach justifies further exami-
nation, the bus or coach may be subjected to a roadworthiness test at an approved testing centre in accordance with
Article 2 of Directive 96/96/EC.

4. Without prejudice to other penalties which may be imposed, if the consequence of the random inspection is that
the bus or coach does not comply with the provisions of Directive 96/96/EC and therefore is considered to present a
serious risk to its occupants or other road users, the bus or coach may be banned immediately from use on public
roads.

Roadside checks shall be carried out without discrimination on the grounds of nationality, residence or registration

5.
of buses and coaches and drivers respectively.

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ANNEX IIa

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ANNEX IIb

TECHNICAL STANDARDS OF THE ROADSIDE CHECK

Buses and coaches as defined in Article 3 of this Agreement shall be maintained in such a condition that they can be
deemed as roadworthy by the inspection authorities.

The items that shall be inspected will include those that are considered to be important for the safe and clean operation
of the bus or coach. As well as simple functional checks (lighting, signalling, tyre condition, etc.), specific tests and/or
inspections shall be carried out on the vehicle's brakes and the motor vehicle's emissions in the following manner:

1.

Brakes

Every part of the braking system and its means of operation shall be maintained in good and efficient working
order and be properly adjusted.

The bus or coach's brakes shall be capable of performing the following three braking functions:

(a) for buses and coaches and their trailers and semi-trailers, a service brake capable of slowing down the vehicle
and of stopping it safely, rapidly and efficiently, whatever its conditions of loading and whatever the upward
or downward gradient of the road on which it is moving;

(b) for buses and coaches and their trailers and semi-trailers, a parking brake capable of holding the bus or coach
stationary, whatever its condition of loading, on a noticeable upward or downward gradient, the operative
surfaces of the brake being held in the braking position by a device whose action is purely mechanical;

(c) for buses and coaches, a secondary (emergency) brake capable of slowing down and stopping the bus or
coach, whatever its condition of loading, within a reasonable distance, even in the event of failure of the
service brake.

Where the maintenance condition of the bus or coach is in doubt, the inspection authorities may test the bus' or
coach's braking performance in accordance with some or all of the provisions of Directive 96/96/EC Annex II(I).

2.

Exhaust emissions

2.1.

E xha u st e mi ssi on

2.1.1. Buses and coaches equipped with positive-ignition (petrol) engines

(a) Where the exhaust emissions are not controlled by an advanced emission control system such as a three-way

catalytic converter which is lambda-probe controlled:

1. visual inspection of the exhaust system in order to check that there is no leakage;

2.

if appropriate, visual inspection of the emission control system in order to check that the required equip-
ment has been fitted.

After a reasonable period of engine conditioning (taking account of the bus or coach manufacturer's recom-
mendations) the carbon monoxide (CO) content of the exhaust gases is measured when the engine is idling
(no load).

The maximum permissible CO content in the exhaust gases is that stated by the bus or coach manufacturer.
Where this information is not available or where Member States' competent authorities decide not to use it as
a reference value, the CO content must not exceed the following:

— for buses and coaches registered or put into service for the first time between the date from which
Contracting Parties required the buses and coaches to comply with Directive 70/220/EEC (1) and 1
October 1986: CO — 4,5 % vol,

— for buses and coaches registered or put into service for the first time after 1 October 1986: CO — 3,5 %

vol.

(b) Where the exhaust emissions are controlled by an advanced emission control system such as a three-way cata-

lytic converter which is lambda-probe controlled:

1. visual inspection of the exhaust system in order to check that there are no leakages and that all parts are

complete;

(1) Council Directive 70/220/EEC of 20 March 1970 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to measures to be
taken against air pollution by emissions from motor vehicles (OJ L 76, 6.4.1970, p. 1) and corrigendum (OJ L 81, 11.4.1970, p. 15),
as last amended by Directive 94/12/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 100, 19.4.1994, p. 42).

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2. visual inspection of the emission control system in order to check that the required equipment has been

fitted;

3. determination of the efficiency of the bus or coach's emission control system by measuring the lambda
value and the CO content of the exhaust gases in accordance with Section 4 or with the procedures
proposed by the manufacturers and approved at the time of type-approval. For each of the tests, the
engine is conditioned in accordance with the bus or coach manufacturer's recommendations;

4. exhaust pipe emissions — limit values:
measurement at engine idling speed:
the maximum permissible CO content in the exhaust gases is that stated by the bus or coach manufac-
turer. Where this information is not available, the maximum CO content must not exceed 0,5 % vol

Measurement at high idle speed, engine speed to be at least 2 000 min-1:
CO content: maximum 0,3 % vol
lambda: 1 ± 0,03 in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications.

2.1.2. Buses and coaches equipped with compression ignition (diesel) engines

Measurement of exhaust gas opacity with free acceleration (no load from idling up to cut-off speed). The level of
concentration must not exceed the level recorded on the plate pursuant to Directive 72/306/EEC (1). Where this
information is not available or where Contracting Parties' competent authorities decide not to use it as a refer-
ence, the limit values of the coefficient of absorption are as follows:
maximum coefficient of absorption for:
— naturally aspirated diesel engines = 2,5 m-1,
— turbo-charged diesel engines = 3,0 m-1

or equivalent values where use is made of equipment of a type different from that used for EC type-approval.

2.1.3. Test equipment

Buses' and coaches' emissions are tested using equipment designed to establish accurately whether the limit values
prescribed or indicated by the manufacturer have been complied with.

2.2. Where appropriate, a check on the correct functioning of the on-board diagnostic (OBD) emission monitoring

system.

(1) Council Directive 72/306/EEC of 2 August 1972 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the measures to
be taken against the emission of pollutants from diesel engines for use in vehicles (OJ L 190, 20.8.1972, p. 1); Directive as last
amended by Commission Directive 89/491/EEC (OJ L 238, 15.8.1989, p. 43).

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ANNEX 3

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ANNEX 4

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ANNEX 5

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