Geographic Focus: All the TRACECA States, including Ukraine, Moldova and Mongolia

Project Budget : EURO 2,800,000

Contractor : Scott Wilson / Freight Transport Association, NEA

Implementation timetable : August 1998 for 18 months

Background. The break up of the FSU left the NIS to establish new customs authorities and border crossing procedures for international road transport. Several bilateral agreements have been negotiated to regulate access to the market for cross-border trucking, mainly on the basis of quota systems. This situation is promoting inefficiency. Meanwhile, nine out of eleven TRACECA countries have become contracting parties to the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods by Road (TIR Convention), which provides a mechanism for simplifying customs procedures for goods transiting by road. Moreover, five TRACECA country associations are now authorised by the International Road Union (IRU), the official administrator of the system, to issue TIR carnets. However, the TRACECA countries have yet to adhere to the European Agreement on the Transport of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR), and drivers and managers need to get the related training.

Finally, in order to haul goods to and from the EU, transport operators need to obtain a Certificate of Professional Competence, based on their good repute, professional competence and financial capacity to be allowed to offer services on the market.

Objectives. This project was developed in collaboration with the IRU, with the objective to boost trade, to reduce delays at border crossings, to avoid customs fraud, and to improve the international competitive position of the beneficiary state operators. These efforts should be co-ordinated with competent international bodies, the customs authorities, the Ministries of Transport and the operators’ professional organisations, through training agencies.

Key Issues. This project addresses five issues :

review of the existing national legislation, adherence to existing international conventions, the legal status of present training and licensing schemes, existing bilateral agreements;

training for professional operators (identification of training institutional infrastructure and partner training agencies; negotiation of national agreements between the parties involved; market survey of the training needs and supply; design of curricula; training actions, including provision of physical equipment; training of trainers and management of training centres; follow-up support);

adherence to the TIR and ADR by those countries which have not completed formalities (assistance in the introduction of relevant documents; provision of advice and model agreements, establishing contractual arrangements between customs and national guaranteeing associations);

pilot computerisation of the system to implement SAFETIR at the inland terminals (in collaboration with the IRU);

procurement of the equipment necessary for the preceding.