UNECE/OTIF held their Joint (video) meeting on RID/ADR/ADN from 10 – 18 September. These two intergovernmental bodies established and maintain the current rules governing the transport of dangerous goods by rail, road and inland waterways. At this session the first proposals for amendments to the RID/ADR/AND for edition 2023 were tabled. As always, UIC represented its members at this intergovernmental gathering. The members’ positions are coordinated in a well-established process within the UIC Study Group on RID/Transport of Dangerous Goods (TDG).
UIC and TDG
Concerning the regulation of the transport of dangerous goods, UIC represents and defends the interests of its members in the context of the work of the different relevant bodies, intergovernmental, European or international. UIC gives expert, technical, practical and organisational assistance to its members in the UIC Study Group RID. This group contributes to the development of the substance of several technical products supplied by UIC to its members, including IRS 20201 and 40471-3, which are the responsibility of the group.
The RID expert group works together with the UIC expert groups on Combined Transport, Loading Guidelines, NHM (harmonised freight nomenclature) and the IT expert group to ensure continuity in the dangerous goods guidelines in all fields of operation. In addition, the group works together with the UIC-CER joint sector Safety System Management Group (SSMG) which represents the interests of the EU railway sector at the EU and the ERA in the context of Safety System Management and with associations such as UIP.
RID
The Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) forms Appendix C to COTIF, the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail. 50 countries, including the EU 27, have signed this convention and apply the RID. Directive 2008/68/EC transposes RID into the EU’s internal law, including for national transport. OTIF and the Commission have put in place the necessary coordination.
As a result of coordination work between the UNECE in Geneva and OTIF, the provisions on the carriage of dangerous goods by rail are also harmonised with the provisions for road transport (ADR) and inland waterways transport (ADN).
(Source: Taken partly from OTIF website)
