Economic Cooperation Organization A brief introduction to ECO Activities in the field of Transport Presented on
Contents Transit Facilitation Capacity Building Regional Studies/Regional Plans Corridor Development/Infrastructure
Transit Facilitation
ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA) A historical movement toward reduction of cost and acceleration of the transport services through harmonization and modernization of transit transport in the region Transit Facilitation Objectives Facilitation of movement of goods and passengers Ensuring the safety of goods and passengers and avoiding unnecessary delays during the transit traffic Cooperation and coordination of the efforts to avoid the incidence of customs frauds and tax evasion Harmonizing necessary administrative affairs dealing with transit traffic TTFA is in force since 2006 with the ratification of the Parliaments of eight Member States, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey
ECO Transit Transport Framework Agreement (TTFA) Transit Facilitation A special mechanism and a FUND has been established to coordinate, support and monitor the implementation of the TTFA Railway Committee Transit Trade Committee TTCC Insurance Committee TRANSIT TRANSPORT COORDINATION COUNCIL Road Committee
Summary of the TTFA Articles PART I GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 Definitions Article 2 Purposes and Objectives Article 3 Scope of Application Transit Facilitation PART II FACILITIES OF TRANSIT PART III DESIGNATION OF TRANSIT TRANSPORT ROUTES Article 4 Article 5 Article 6 Article 7 Article 8 Article 9 Article 10 Article 11 Facilities of Transit Customs Duties, Taxes and other Levies and Charges Designation and Technical Characteristics of Road, Rail and Inland Waterway Routes Combined and Multimodal Transport Frontier Facilities Measures designed to expedite clearance of Transit Traffic Safety of Transit Traffic Establishment of Offices Article 12 Multiple Entry and Transit Visa PART IV MARITIME PORTS AND FACILITIES Article 13 Maritime Ports and Facilities
Summary of the TTFA Articles (continued) PART V GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR ROAD TRANSPORT Article 14 Traffic Regulations Article 15 Road Transport Permits Article 16 Transport Services Article 17 Temporary Admission of Means of Transport Transit Facilitation Article 18 Article 19 Article 20 Article 21 Article 22 Article 23 Technical Requirements of Vehicles Provision of Fuel and Lubricants Mutual Recognition of Driving Licenses Mutual Recognition of Certificate of Road Worthiness Motor Vehicle Third Party Insurance Scheme Charges and other Payments PART VI GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR RAIL TRANSPORT Article 24 Transit Services
Summary of the TTFA Articles (continued) PART VII Article 25 Inland Water Navigation GENERAL CONDITIONS FOR INLAND TRANSPORT Article 26 Ship Papers PART VIII RULES OF CARRIAGE BY ROAD TRANSPORT Article 27 Rules of Carriage by Road Transport Transit Facilitation PART IX CUSTOMS CONTROL PART X DOCUMENTATION AND PROCEDURES Article 28 Article 29 Article 30 Establishment of Customs Transit System Simplification and Harmonization of Customs Procedures Consolidation and Alignment of Documentation Article 31 Notification of Change in Documentation and Procedures Article 32 Basic Documentation and Procedures
Summary of the TTFA Articles (continued) PART XI MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS Article 33 Article 34 Article 35 Provision of Greater Facilities Domestic Legislation International Conventions Article 36 Monitoring and Implementation of the Agreement Transit Facilitation Article 37 Article 38 Article 39 Article 40 Article 41 Article 42 Article 43 Article 44 Dispute Settlement Decisions of the Arbitrators Report of the Arbitrators Functions of Depositary Signature, Ratification, Acceptance, Approval and Accession Validity of the Amendments Entry into Force Date of Application Article 45 Denunciation
Annexes of the TTFA Transit Facilitation ANNEX-I routes ANNEX-II ANNEX-III transport ANNEX-IV ANNEX-V ANNEX-VI ANNEX-VII ANNEX-VIII Prescribed road, rail and inland waterway transit Minimum technical characteristics of transit roads Minimum technical characteristics of railway transit Technical requirements of road vehicles Motor Vehicles Third Party Insurance Rules of Carriage by Road Transport Customs Control Terms of reference of the TTCC
Road related provisions of the TTFA Transit Facilitation 1. Exemption of motor vehicles from customs duties, taxes and other charges 2. Designation and Technical Characteristics of Roads 3. Adequate Frontier Facilities: (terminals, warehousing facilities, interchange stations, ports, coordinating working hours of frontier posts, etc.) 4. Safety of Transit Traffic 5. Granting permission to transport companies to establish offices 6. Multiple Entry and Transit Visa for one year with a right of staying for 15 days 7. Enforcing intrernational road traffic regulations in their territories 8. To harmonize and facilitate road transport permits without any limitation and quota. 9. To allow the transport means of other Contracting Party to remain and provide transit services on its territory (no Carnet de Passage) 10. Application of the Technical Requirements of Vehicles-Annex IV (the provision of fuel and lubricants) 11. Mutual Recognition of Driving Licenses 12. Mutual Recognition of Certificate of Road Worthiness 13. Motor Vehicle Third Party Insurance Scheme 14. Application of rules of carriage of goods, passengers and luggage by road
Railway transport related provisions of the TTFA Transit Facilitation 1. The Contracting Parties adopt the prescribed railway transit routes (Annexure-I). 2. While constructing/reconstructing railways on the prescribed transit routes the minimum characteristics set out in Annexes II and III will be observed 3. Safe and expeditious clearance of Transit Traffic and establishment of Offices 4. Transit services on railway lines shall be performed at interchange stations designated by Agreement. Border stations shall be those designated in Annex-I. 5. CPs shall formulate Rules of Use of Wagons keeping in view the framework of the Organization for cooperation between Railways, OSJD, RIV, RIC and PPW. 6. CPs shall formulate rules and procedures for international rail passenger and freight traffic keeping in view the provisions of the Agreement on International Carriage of Passenger (SMPO) as well as the Agreement on International Carriage of Goods (SMGS), COTIF/CIM, CIV and within the framework of OSJD and UIC.
Maritime Transportation in TTFA Transit Facilitation 1- Paving the way for free and open transit traffic for vessels and crew in inland waterway. 2- Prescription of in land water transit routes on: - Caspian Sea - Rivers and Canals 3- Provision of adequate navigation aids based on non-discrimination 4- Provision of the necessary port facilities 5- Clearance of Ship papers and providing the document of the vessels based on the facilitative on international maritime traffic
Customs related provisions of the TTFA Transit Facilitation 1. Traffic in transit by motor vehicles shall be exempt from customs duties, taxes and other charges 2. Establishment of a Customs Transit System for the cargo and means of transport in accordance with the relevant Int. Customs Conventions 3. The Contracting Parties, which are also parties to the Customs Convention on the International Transportation of Goods under cover of TIR Convention 1975 will apply the provisions of that Convention amongst themselves. The Contracting Parties which are not yet parties to that Convention will consider the possibility of acceding to this Convention. 4. Measures to simplify the Customs control means of transport, goods, luggage and passengers passing through their territories in accordance with the provisions of the Annexure VII.
Capacity Building
Trainings and Workshops Capacity Building The ECO organizes annually 6-10 capacity building workshops /training workshops on transport, in partnership with the relevant international organizations Examples of capacity building workshops/training courses held in 2012: The ECO/UNECE Workshop on Unified Railway Law (Ankara, June 2012) The Regional Training Course on Third Party Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance (ECO White Cart), Tehran, November 2012, in partnership with the International Green Card Council of Bureaux The 2 nd ECO/IRU Regional Conference on Transit Transport and the TIR System, Istanbul June- July 2012. Training Course on TIR for Afghanistan, (Mashhad, June 2012). Training Course on TIR for Afghanistan (Ankara, 2012). Training Course on TIR for Pakistan (Ankara, May 2013). (planned): Regional Capacity Building Workshop on the UN Agreement ADR, Ankara, May 2014. The 3 rd ECO/IRU Regional Conference on Transit Transport and the TIR System, Tehran, 2014. Capacity Building Workshop on TIR for Pakistan, Islamabad, 2014.
Accession to Conventions Capacity Building The ECO has an active role in promoting and facilitating the accession of its member states to important international conventions and agreements in the field of transport, in close cooperation with the relevant international organizations Examples of ECO s activities in this field in 2012-2013: Reactivation of the TIR Convention in Afghanistan is finalized in coordination with ECO and IRU and official ceremony was held on 4 September 2013 in Kabul Membership of the Afghanistan Rail Authority (AfRA) to the International Union of Railway (UIC) as December 2013 Internal procedures for Pakistan s accession to the TIR Convention started by the Government of Pakistan, in coordination with ECO and IRU The Pakistan s accession to COTIF is successfully completed, in close coordination with ECO/OTIF The Republic of Azerbaijan s accession to COTIF in final stages. Capacity building activities are initiated for promoting the accession of the ECO member states to ADR.
Institutional development Capacity Building ECO Logistics Providers Associations Federation (ECOLPAF) To facilitate the transit trade in the region and involvement of the private sectors of the Member States in this regard, the 20th COM approved the establishment of the ECO Logistics Providers Associations Federation (ECOLPAF) as an affiliated body of ECO and its Charter. The 1st General Assembly of ECOLPAF will be held in Karachi after the its registering process in Istanbul.
Regional Studies/Regional Plans
Regional Studies/Regional Plans Regional Studies ECO Rail Network Development Plan Defines five ECO Rail Transport Corridors Identifies regionally important infrastructure projects along the ECO Transport Corridors. Develops an Investment Plan for the priority projects. Approved by the member states ECO Road Network Development Plan Defines five ECO Road Transport Corridors. Identifies regionally important infrastructure projects along the ECO Road Transport Corridors. Develops an Investment Plan for the priority projects. Approved by the member states Motor Vehicle Third Party Liability Insurance in the ECO Region Analyzes the status of Third Party Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance in the ECO Member States provides the required documentation for Establishment of a regional scheme for Motor Vehicle Third Party Liability Insurance in the ECO Member States (the ECO White Card Scheme) Approved by the member states
ECO/IRU Project for Regular Monitored Run of Trucks Regional Studies Started in June 2011 Inspired by successful ECO/IRU Demonstration Truck Caravan 2010
Regional Studies ECO/IRU Project for Regular Monitored Run of Trucks The project involved organizing and monitoring 150 commercial journeys of trucks from different nationalities. The project formulated concrete recommendations to improve transit operations in the region. Data analyzed through NEA Institute (Netherlands) using UNESCAP Time-Distance- Cost methodology The findings depicted the exact situation on various aspects of transit operations: visa, permit, fuel, speed, costs, unofficial payments, customs procedures, application of the TIR Convention, etc.. For example: Waiting time in queues takes 30% of the total travel time. Average speed is only 15 km/h. Unjustified levies are about 28% of the total costs.
Corridor Development
Islamabad Tehran Tehran Istanbul Corridor Further to decision of the 8 th Meeting of the ECO Transport Ministers (Ashgabat, 2011), endorsed by the ECO Summit, arrangements for establishing a road corridor between Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul is initiated. The Corridor is bieng coordinated by the ECO High Level Working Group Corridors The Meeting Adopted an Action Plan for the Establishment of the Corridor through Implementing an ECO/IRU TIR Project along the corridor, whereby the TIR System would be implemented on test basis along the Corridor.
Kyrgyz Republic Tajikistan Tajikistan Afghanistan Iran (KTAI) Rail and Road Corridor s Corridors/Infrastructure The KTAI Road Corridor is coordinated by the ECO High Level Working Group Meeting, the 2 nd meeting was held in Bishkek in October 2013 The KTAI Rail Corridor is coordinated by the Senior Officials Meeting of the enroute member states
Iran Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Railway Project (ECO Rail Corridor IV) Corridors/Infrastructure Total length 900 km Coordinated by the ECO Trilateral Coordination Committee
Iran Turkmenistan Turkmenistan Kazakhstan Railway Project (ECO Rail Corridor IV) Corridors/Infrastructure The Iranian segment (90 Km) and the segment in Kazakhstan (120 km)completed and INAUGURATED in May 2013 Good progress in the segment of Turkmenistan (700 km). A 444 km segment from Bereket to Kazakhstan border COMPLETED
The Qazvin Rasht Rasht Astara Astara Railway Project Corridors/Infrastructure The Qazvin Rasht Astara (Iran) Astara (Azerbaijan) Railway Project has three parts. Two parts, namely Qazvinn Rasht and Rasht Astara with a total length of about 369 km are located in Iran, and one part (less than 10 km) is located in the Republic of Azerbaijan. The 8 th Meeting of the ECO Ministers of the Transport and Communications (Ashgabat, 28 29 th June 2011) asked the ECO Secretariat to create effective coordination for expedite the Railway Project on Qazvin Rasht Astara (Iran) Astara (Azerbaijan) Route. Subsequently, a follow up action plan was adopted by the Meeting of the representatives of the enroute member states and the ECO Secretariat (Tehran, February 2012), which was endorsed by the Meeting of the Heads of the ECO Railway Authorities (Ankara, 2012) and the 20 th COM.
The Republic of Azerbaijan Iran Railway Project (ECO Rail Corridor III) Infrastructure So far two High Level Working Group Meeting were held in Azerbaijan and Iran in 2013 and two field visit were organized from Iranian construction segment. About 80% progress has been achieved in the construction of the whole Qazvin Rasht Astara route. To achieve this progress, a significant amount of investment and technical capability were utilized.
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