Europese Overeenkomst inzake belangrijke lijnen voor het internationaal gecombineerd vervoer en daarmee samenhangende installaties (AGTC)

For the purposes of this Agreement:
a) The term “combined transport” shall mean the transport of goods in one and the same transport unit using more than one mode of transport;
b) The term “network of important international combined transport lines” shall refer to all railway lines considered to be important for international combined transport if: (i) they are currently used for regular international combined transport (e.g. swap body, container, semi-trailer);
(ii) they serve as important feeder lines for international combined transport;
(iii) they are expected to become important combined transport lines in the near future (as defined in (i) and (ii));
(i) they are currently used for regular international combined transport (e.g. swap body, container, semi-trailer);
(ii) they serve as important feeder lines for international combined transport;
(iii) they are expected to become important combined transport lines in the near future (as defined in (i) and (ii));
c) The term “related installations” shall refer to combined transport terminals, border crossing points, stations for the exchange of wagon groups, gauge interchange stations and ferry links/ports which are important for international combined transport.

The Contracting Parties adopt the provisions of this Agreement as a co-ordinated international plan for the development and operation of a network of important international combined transport lines and related installations, hereinafter referred to as “international combined transport network” which they intend to undertake within the framework of national programmes. The international combined transport network consists of the railway lines contained in annex I to this Agreement, and of combined transport terminals, border crossing points, gauge interchange stations and ferry links/ports important for international combined transport which are contained in annex II to this Agreement.

The railway lines of the international combined transport network shall conform to the characteristics set out in annex III to this Agreement or will be brought into conformity with the provisions of this annex in future improvement work to be carried out in conformity with national programmes.

In order to facilitate international combined transport services on the international combined transport network, Contracting Parties shall undertake appropriate measures in order to achieve the performance parameters and minimum standards for combined transport trains and related installations referred to in annex IV to this Agreement.

The annexes to this Agreement form an integral part of the Agreement. Further annexes covering other aspects of combined transport may be added to the Agreement in accordance with the amendment procedure described in article 12.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations shall be the depositary of this Agreement.

1. This Agreement shall be open at the office of the United Nations in Geneva for signature by States which are members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe or have been admitted to the Commission in a consultative capacity in conformity with paragraphs 8 and 11 of the terms of reference of the Commission, from 1 April 1991 to 31 March 1992.
2. Such signatures shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval.

1. This Agreement shall be subject to ratification, acceptance or approval in accordance with paragraph 2 of article 7.
2. Ratification, acceptance or approval shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

1. This Agreement shall be open for accession by any State referred to in paragraph 1 of article 7 from 1 April 1991.
2. Accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.

1. This Agreement shall enter into force 90 days after the date on which the Governments of eight States have deposited an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, provided that one or more lines of the international combined transport network link, in a continuous manner, the territories of at least four of the States which have deposited such an instrument.
2. If the above condition is not fulfilled, the Agreement shall enter into force 90 days after the date of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, whereby the said condition will be satisfied.
3. For each State which deposits an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession after the commencement of the period of 90 days specified in paragraphs 1 and 2 of this article, the Agreement shall enter into force 90 days after the date of deposit of the said instrument.

1. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed as preventing a Contracting Party from taking such action, compatible with the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and limited to the exigencies of the situation, as it considers necessary for its external or internal security.
2. Such measures, which must be temporary, shall be notified immediately to the depositary and their nature specified.

1. Any dispute between two or more Contracting Parties which relates to the interpretation or application of this Agreement and which the Parties in dispute are unable to settle by negotiation or other means shall be referred to arbitration if any of the Contracting Parties in dispute so requests and shall, to that end, be submitted to one or more arbitrators selected by mutual agreement between the Parties in dispute. If the Parties in dispute fail to agree on the choice of an arbitrator or arbitrators within three months after the request for arbitration, any of those Parties may request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to appoint a single arbitrator to whom the dispute shall be submitted for decision.
2. The award of the arbitrator or arbitrators appointed in accordance with paragraph 1 of this article shall be binding upon the Contracting Parties in dispute.

Any State may, at the time of signing this Agreement or of depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, notify the depositary that it does not consider itself bound by article 12 of this Agreement.

1. This Agreement may be amended in accordance with the procedure specified in this article, except as provided for under articles 15 and 16.
2. At the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to this Agreement shall be considered by the Working Party on Intermodal Transport and Logistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
3. If the amendment is adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to all Contracting Parties for acceptance.
4. Any proposed amendment communicated in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article shall come into force with respect to all Contracting Parties three months after the expiry of a period of twelve months following the date of its communication, provided that during such period of twelve months no objection to the proposed amendment shall have been notified to the Secretary-General of the United Nations by a State which is a Contracting Party.
5. If an objection to the proposed amendment has been notified in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article, the amendment shall be deemed not to have been accepted and shall have no effect whatsoever.

1. Annexes I and II to this Agreement may be amended in accordance with the procedure laid down in this article.
2. At the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to this Agreement shall be considered by the Working Party on Intermodal Transport and Logistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
3. If the amendment is adopted by the majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the proposed amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to the Contracting Parties directly concerned for acceptance. For the purpose of this article, a Contracting Party shall be considered directly concerned if in the case of inclusion of a new line, an important terminal, a border crossing point, a gauge interchange station or a ferry link/port or in case of their respective modification, its territory is crossed by that line or is directly linked to the important terminal, or if the considered important terminal, border crossing point, gauge interchange station or terminal point of the ferry link/port are situated on the said territory.
4. Any proposed amendment communicated in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3 of this article shall be deemed accepted if, within a period of six months following the date of its communication by the depositary, none of the Contracting Parties directly concerned has notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of its objection to the proposed amendment.
5. Any amendment thus accepted shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to all Contracting Parties and shall enter into force three months after the date of its communication by the depositary.
6. If an objection to the proposed amendment has been notified in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article, the amendment shall be deemed not to have been accepted and shall have no effect whatsoever.
7. The depositary shall be kept promptly informed by the Secretariat of the Economic Commission for Europe of the Contracting Parties which are directly concerned by a proposed amendment.

1. Annexes III and IV to this Agreement may be amended in accordance with the procedure specified in this article.
2. At the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to this Agreement shall be considered by the Working Party on Intermodal Transport and Logistics of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
3. If the amendment is adopted by a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General of the United Nations to all Contracting Parties for acceptance.
4. Any proposed amendment communicated in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article shall be deemed accepted unless, within a period of six months following the date of its communication, one fifth or more of the Contracting Parties have notified the Secretary-General of the United Nations of their objection to the proposed amendment.
5. Any amendment accepted in accordance with paragraph 4 of this article shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to all Contracting Parties and shall enter into force three months after the date of its communication with respect to all Contracting Parties except those which, prior to the date of its entry into force, have notified the Secretary-General that they did not accept the proposed amendment.
6. If one fifth or more of the Contracting Parties have notified an objection to the proposed amendment in accordance with paragraph 4 above, the amendment shall be deemed not to hâve been accepted and shall have no effect whatsoever.

The provisions of this Agreement cannot prevail over those that some States may be compelled to apply among themselves in accordance with other multilateral treaties, such as the 1957 Treaty of Rome establishing the European Economic Community.

1. Any Contracting Party may denounce this Agreement by written notification addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
2. The denunciation shall take effect one year after the date of receipt by the Secretary-General of said notification.

Should, after the entry into force of this Agreement, the number of Contracting Parties be for any period of twelve consecutive months reduced to less than eight, the Agreement shall cease to have effect twelve months after the date on which the eighth State ceased to be a Contracting Party.

In addition to such notifications and communications as this Agreement may specify, the functions of the Secretary-General of the United Nations as depositary shall be as set out in Part VII of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, concluded at Vienna on 23 May 1969.

The original of this Agreement, of which the English, French and Russian texts are equally authentic, shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations.