Proposal for a Decision on the position to be taken in the UNECE Working Party on customs questions affecting transport and in the Inland Transport Committee

The proposed draft Convention on the facilitation of border crossing procedures for passengers, luggage and load-luggage carried in international traffic by rail was initiated by the Organization for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) and transmitted to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe by the Government of the Russian Federation.

A Convention with a similar scope is already in force – the 1952 International Convention to facilitate the crossing of frontiers for passengers and baggage carried by rail. Due to various legal and procedural difficulties, it was not feasible to amend this Convention in order to modernise it. Moreover, member countries of the OSJD supported the idea of drafting a new convention in this field, rather than acceding to the outdated 1952 Convention.

The main new elements in the draft Convention are joint coordinated controls at borders, instead of two or more consecutive controls on either side of the border; controls on moving trains where the schedules and stops of the trains so permit, and agreeing details of the cooperation by means of bilateral agreements or multilateral arrangements. This proposal relates to two Union policy areas: railways and customs. The aspect of the Union acquis on border management will be covered by a separate proposal.