INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION
TO FACILITATE THE CROSSING OF FRONTIERS
FOR GOODS CARRIED BY RAIL
(Geneva, 10.I.1952)
The undersigned,
Duly authorized,
Meeting at Geneva, under the auspices of the Economic
Commission for Europe,
For the purpose of facilitating the crossing of frontiers for
goods carried by rail,
Have agreed as follows:
Chapter I. ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION
OF FRONTIER STATIONS WHERE EXAMINATIONS ARE CARRIED
OUT BY THE TWO ADJOINING COUNTRIES
Article 1
1. On every railway line carrying a considerable volume of
international goods traffic, which crosses the frontier between
two adjoining countries, the competent authorities of those
countries shall jointly examine the possibility of designating by
agreement a station close to the frontier, at which the
examinations required under the legislation of the two countries
in respect of the entry and exit of all or part of the goods
traffic might be effectively carried out.
2. Where two adjoining countries designate several stations of
this kind along their common frontier, the number of such stations
on either side of the frontier shall, so far as possible, be
equal.
3. At all points where the establishment of such stations for
two-way traffic examinations is found to be impracticable, the
Contracting Parties shall jointly examine the possibility of
making suitable arrangements for the examination of traffic in one
direction to be carried out at the station on one side of the
frontier and the examination of traffic in the other direction at
the station on the other side of the frontier, this provision to
be limited where necessary to goods carried by certain fast
international trains.
Article 2
1. Whenever a station is designated in accordance with article
1, a zone shall be set up within which officials and agents of the
competent administrations of the country adjoining the territory
on which the station is established (hereinafter referred to as
the "adjoining country") shall be entitled to examine goods
crossing the frontier in either direction.
2. As a general rule this zone shall comprise:
(a) A specified area within the precincts of the station;
(b) Goods trains and the section of the track on which they
stand throughout the whole period of the examination; and
(c) Trains between the station and the frontier of the
adjoining country.
Article 3
Application, within the zone established in accordance with
article 2, of the laws and regulations of the adjoining country as
well as the powers, rights and duties pertaining within the zone
to officials and agents of the competent administrations of that
country, shall be the subject of bilateral agreements between the
competent authorities of the countries concerned.
Article 4
1. The competent administrations of the countries concerned
shall determine by special agreements what premises are needed by
the services of the adjoining country within the said zone, and
the conditions under which the railway administration of the
country in whose territory the station is situated shall supply
furniture, lighting, heating, cleaning, telephone communications,
etc., for the said premises.
2. Any equipment required for the functioning of the services
of the adjoining country shall be imported on a temporary basis
and re-exported free of all Customs duties and charges, provided
that the proper declaration is made. Regulations forbidding or
restricting import or export shall not apply to such equipment.
Article 5
1. The premises allotted to the services of the adjoining
country within the zone set up in accordance with article 2 may be
distinguished on the outside by a notice including a shield in the
national colours of that country.
2. Officials and agents of the competent administrations of
the adjoining country shall wear national uniform or the
distinguishing badge prescribed by the regulations of that
country.
3. Officials and agents of the competent administrations of
the adjoining country who are called on to go to the station in
order to carry out the examinations provided for in this
Convention shall be exempt from passport formalities. Production
of their official papers shall be deemed sufficient proof of their
nationality, identity, rank and of the nature of their duties.
4. The officials and agents mentioned in paragraphs 2 and 3 of
this article shall enjoy, in the exercise of their duties, the
same protection and assistance as the corresponding officials and
agents of the country in whose territory the station is situated.
5. Exemption from taxes and charges may be granted under the
bilateral agreements provided for in article 3 to officials and
agents of the adjoining country residing in the country in whose
territory the station is situated.
6. The bilateral agreements referred to in article 3 shall
determine:
(a) The maximum numbers of officials and agents of the
competent administrations of the adjoining country authorized to
carry out examinations in the zone established in accordance with
article 2;
(b) The conditions under which their recall may be demanded;
and
(c) The conditions under which they may carry arms and use
them in the exercise of their duties within the said zone.
Article 6
1. The Customs administrations and other administrations
concerned shall do everything in their power to reduce to a
minimum the time required for the Customs and other examinations
to which goods crossing the frontiers of their country are
subject, particularly in the case of:
Fast freight;
Transport in international transit;
Perishable goods, livestock and other goods for which rapid
transport is essential;
Goods dispatched by fast international trains; and
Heavy goods dispatched in train-loads.
2. Maximum time-limits for Customs and other examinations may
be fixed by the bilateral agreements referred to in article 3.
3. With a view to carrying out the provisions of paragraph 1
of this article, the railway administrations shall notify the
competent authorities of the countries of entry and exit in due
time of any changes in the frequency, timing and composition of
international trains.
Chapter II. INTERNATIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM
Article 7
1. The Customs and other administrations concerned shall, in
agreement with the railway administrations of their respective
countries, take such special measures as appear advisable for the
purpose of speeding up, in particular, the examination of goods in
international transit.
2. In agreement with the railway administrations of the
countries concerned, the Customs and other administrations
concerned of the said countries shall establish, so far as
possible, offices at those stations in the interior of the said
countries where international traffic is particularly heavy, in
order to permit the examination and Customs clearance of goods,
either before departure from such stations or on arrival there.
Between one such station in the interior of a country and a
frontier station in either direction or between two such stations
in the interior of two countries, such goods may be carried under
the international transit system referred to in paragraph 1 of
this article.
3. With a view to the application of the provisions of the
present chapter:
(a) The Contracting Parties shall recognize, in principle, the
Customs seals of the other Contracting Parties, subject to the
right of each Customs administration to add its own seal, should
it deem this essential;
(b) The Contracting Parties shall adopt the standard
international Customs declaration form annexed to this
Convention;
(c) The standard international Customs declaration form shall
be printed in two languages, French and the language of the
country of dispatch; unless otherwise provided, it shall be made
out in duplicate for each country;
(d) The declaration by the consignor shall be made in Latin
characters and in the language of the country of dispatch or in
French, and where necessary the railway administration will be
responsible for its translation; and
(e) This regulation does not rule out the possibility for
Customs and railway administrations which see fit to do so, to
allow the use of other languages in connexion with traffic
exclusively concerned with their particular country.
4. This standard international Customs declaration form may be
modified in accordance with the simplified procedure described in
article 16 of this Convention.
Chapter III. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Article 8
1. The duty hours of staff of railway, Customs and other
administrations concerned shall be carefully adjusted to train
time-tables and traffic requirements.
2. At frontier stations and stations where examinations are
carried out by the two adjoining countries, the Contracting
Parties shall arrange, as far as possible, for the hours of
opening of post, telegraph and telephone offices to be adjusted to
those of the corresponding Customs offices.
3. At stations where examinations are carried out by only one
country, the Customs and other administrations concerned shall
make similar efforts to those described in article 6, paragraph 1,
to reduce to a minimum the time required for Customs and other
examinations.
Article 9
On all main routes, the Contracting Parties shall establish
direct railway service telephone lines between the frontier
stations of the adjoining countries and take steps to facilitate
and accelerate private telephone communications. The privilege of
establishing direct telephone communications may, by bilateral
agreement, be extended to other public services.
Article 10
Customs and other administrations concerned, and the railways,
shall take the necessary measures to facilitate examinations in
sidings whenever such measures are calculated to reduce waiting
time, provided that such examinations are entirely adequate and do
not entail any danger to staff.
Article 11
Customs and other administrations concerned, and the railways,
shall take the necessary measures to give priority to examination
of perishable goods, in particular if they are crossing a frontier
under international through transit procedure.
Chapter IV. FINAL CLAUSES
Article 12
1. After signature this day, this Convention shall be open for
accession by the countries participating in the work of the
Economic Commission for Europe.
2. The instruments of accession and, if required, of
ratification shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the
United Nations who shall notify all the countries referred to in
paragraph 1 of this article of the receipt thereof.
Article 13
This Convention may be denounced by means of six months'
notice given to the Secretary-General of the United Nations who
shall notify the other Contracting Parties thereof. After the
expiry of the six months' period, the Convention shall cease to be
in force as regards the Contracting Party which has denounced it.
Article 14
1. This Convention shall enter into force when three of the
countries referred to in article 12, paragraph 1, shall have
become Contracting Parties thereto.
2. It shall terminate if at any time the number of Contracting
Parties thereto is less than three.
Article 15
Any dispute between any two or more Contracting Parties
concerning the interpretation or application of this Convention,
which the Parties are unable to settle by negotiation or by
another mode of settlement, may be referred for decision, at the
request of any one of the Contracting Parties concerned, to an
arbitral commission, to which each party to the dispute shall
nominate one member; the chairman, who shall have the casting
vote, shall be appointed by the Secretary-General of the United
Nations.
Article 16
1. Should one of the Contracting Parties consider it desirable
for modifications to be made to the standard international Customs
declaration form annexed to this Convention, it shall submit its
proposed amendment to the Secretary-General of the United Nations
who shall communicate the text thereof to all signatory or
acceding countries.
2. The amendment shall be deemed to come into force ninety
days from the date of the communication provided for in the
preceding paragraph, unless, before the expiry of that period, at
least one-third of the signatory or acceding countries have
notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of their
objection to the amendment.
3. The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall record
the entry into force of amendments to the annex and shall inform
all signatory or acceding countries thereof.
Article 17
1. The original of this Convention shall be deposited with the
Secretary-General of the United Nations who shall transmit a
certified true copy thereof to each of the countries referred to
in article 12, paragraph 1.
2. The Secretary-General is authorized to register this
Convention upon its entry into force.
Done at Geneva, in a single copy, in the English and French
languages, both texts equally authentic, on the tenth day of
January one thousand nine hundred and fifty-two.
(Follow the signatures)
Annex
INTERNATIONAL RAIL TRANSPORT
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¦ 1. International Customs Declaration ¦
¦ ¦
¦2. <*> Name of railway ........................, ---------------¬¦
¦Represented by ................................. ¦Customs Office¦¦
¦<*> I, the undersigned, ......................., ¦ ¦¦
¦Authorized agent of the ......................., ¦ ¦¦
¦Railways, submit for transit the goods described ¦3. No.........¦¦
¦overleaf and undertake to re-submit them within ¦ ¦¦
¦......... days, with Customs seal intact, to the ¦ ¦¦
¦Customs Office at .............................. ¦ ¦¦
¦ ....................... (date) L---------------¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦4. Seal affixed or recognized Wagon No. ................ ¦
¦ _____ ¦
¦ / \ ¦
¦ |Customs| ¦
¦ | Stamp | ¦
¦ \_____/ ¦
¦ ¦
¦ ....................... (date) ¦
¦ ¦
¦ Customs Official ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦5. We, the undersigned, Customs officials at the Customs office¦
¦at ..........., hereby certify that the goods described overleaf were¦
¦re-submitted to us with their seals intact. ¦
¦ ....................... (date) ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦6. Disposal of goods <*> Seen to have crossed the frontier ........ ¦
¦ Shipped aboard .......... (Name of vessel) ¦
¦ Warehoused at ............................ ¦
¦ Entered for home use ..................... ¦
¦ .......................................... ¦
¦ ................................... (date) ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦7. Discharge form No.............. has been issued in ¦
¦ respect of the undertaking entered into _____ ¦
¦ / \ ¦
¦ |Customs| ¦
¦ | Stamp | ¦
¦ \_____/ ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦8. Remarks (trans-shipment, breakage of seals, etc.) ................ ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦<*> Strike out whichever does not apply. ¦
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INTERNATIONAL RAIL TRANSPORT
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¦9. Consignor's Declaration for Customs purposes ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦ 11. Country whence goods ¦
¦ ............. consigned ...................¦
¦10. Name and address ............. 12. Country of destination of¦
¦ of consignee ................. goods .... ..................¦
+--------T--------T--------T------T------T------------T--------T-------+
¦ Marks ¦ Number ¦ Nature ¦Nature¦Gross ¦ Net weight ¦Value in¦Remarks¦
¦ and ¦ of ¦ of ¦ of ¦weight¦ or other ¦currency¦ ¦
¦nos. of ¦packages¦packages¦goods ¦ ¦measurements¦ of ¦ ¦
¦packages¦ ¦(boxes, ¦ ¦ ¦ (cubic ¦country ¦ ¦
¦or wagon¦ ¦sacks, ¦ ¦ ¦ capacity, ¦ of ¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ etc.) ¦ ¦ ¦ surface, ¦dispatch¦ ¦
¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ ¦ etc) ¦ ¦ ¦
¦ 13 ¦ 14 ¦ 15 ¦ 16 ¦ 17 ¦ 18 ¦ 19 ¦ 20 ¦
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
+--------+--------+--------+------+------+------------+--------+-------+
¦21. Other particulars furnished by the 22. Name and ................¦
¦consignor (station at which formalities address of...............¦
¦are to be carried out, how consignment consignor................¦
¦is to be entered for Customs purposes, .........................¦
¦documents attached and their numbers, .........................¦
¦etc) .................................. .........................¦
¦....................................... ..... (place) .... (date)¦
¦....................................... ¦
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
¦23. No. of consignment............ 24. Number et features of the first¦
¦ Customs seals affixed: ¦
¦ ...................................¦
¦ Date stamp of station of ...................................¦
¦ dispatch ...................................¦
¦ ...................................¦
L-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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