Europese Overeenkomst inzake internationale hoofdverkeerswegen

The Contracting Parties adopt the proposed road network hereinafter referred to as “the international E-road network” and described in annex I to this Agreement, as a co-ordinated plan for the construction and development of roads of international importance which they intend to undertake within the framework of their national programmes.

The international E-road network consists of a grid system of reference roads having a general north-south and west-east orientation; it includes also intermediate roads located between the reference roads and branch, link and connecting roads.

The roads of the international E-road network as referred to in article 1 of this Agreement shall be brought into conformity with the provisions of annex II to this Agreement.

1. The roads of the international E-road network shall be identified and signed by means of the road sign described in annex III to this Agreement.
2. All signs used to designate E roads, which are not in conformity with the provisions of this Agreement and its annexes shall be removed within three years from the date of entry into force of this Agreement for the State concerned, in accordance with article 6.
3. New road signs conforming to that described in annex III to this Agreement shall be placed on all roads of the international E-road network within four years from the date of entry into force of this Agreement for the State concerned, in accordance with article 6.
4. The provisions of this article shall not be subject to any limitations which may result from the national programmes referred to in article 1 of this Agreement.

1. This Agreement shall be open until 31 December 1976 for signature by States which are either Members of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe or have been admitted to the Commission in a consultative capacity in conformity with paragraph 8 of the terms of reference of the Commission.
2. Those States may become Parties to this Agreement by
(a) signature not subject to ratification, acceptance or approval;
(b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval; or
(c) accession.
3. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument in good and due form 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 either signed it not subject to ratification, acceptance or approval or have deposited an instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession provided that one or more roads of the international E-road network link, in a continuous manner, the territories of at least four of the States which have so signed or which have deposited such an instrument. If this condition is not fulfilled, the Agreement shall enter into force 90 days after the date either of the signature not subject to ratification, acceptance or approval or of the deposit of the instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, whereby the said condition will be satisfied.
2. For each State which deposits its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession after the commencement of the period of 90 days specified in paragraph 1 of this article, the Agreement shall enter into force 90 days after the date of deposit of the said instrument.
3. Upon its entry into force, this Agreement shall terminate and replace in relations between the Contracting Parties the Declaration on the Construction of Main International Traffic Arteries signed at Geneva on 16 September 1950.

1. The main text of this Agreement may be amended by either of the procedures specified in this article.
2. (a) Upon the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to the main text of this Agreement shall be considered in the Working Party on Road Transport of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).
(b) If adopted by a two-thirds majority of those present and voting and if such a majority includes a two-thirds majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to all Contracting Parties for acceptance.
(c) If the amendment is accepted by two-thirds of the Contracting Parties, the Secretary-General shall so notify all Contracting Parties and the amendment shall come into force twelve months after the date of such notification. The amendment shall come into force with respect to all Contracting Parties except those which, before it comes into force, make a declaration that they do not accept the amendment.
3. Upon the request of at least one-third of the Contracting Parties, a conference to which the States referred to in article 5 shall be invited, shall be convened by the Secretary-General. The procedure specified in sub paragraphs (a) and (b) of paragraph 2 of this article shall be applied in respect of any amendment submitted to the consideration of such a conference.

1. Annex I to this Agreement may be amended by the procedure specified in this article.
2. Upon the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to annex I to this Agreement shall be considered in the Working Party on Road Transport of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).
3. If adopted by the majority of those present and voting and if such majority includes the majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to the competent administrations of the Contracting Parties directly concerned. The following shall be considered Contracting Parties directly concerned:
(a) in the case of a new, or the modification of an existing class-A international road, any Contracting Party whose territory is crossed by that road;
(b) in the case of a new, or the modification of an existing, class-B international road, any Contracting Party contiguous to the requesting country, whose territory is crossed by the class-A international road or roads with which the class-B international road, whether new or to be modified, is connected. Two Contracting Parties having in their respective territories the terminal points of a sea link on the class-A international road or roads specified above shall also be considered contiguous for the purposes of this paragraph.
4. Any proposed amendments communicated in accordance with paragraph 3 of this article shall be accepted if within a period of six months following the date of its communication none of the competent administrations of the Contracting Parties directly concerned notify the Secretary-General of their objection to the amendment. If the administration of a Contracting Party states that its national law obliges it to subordinate its agreement to the grant of a specific authorization or to the approval of a legislative body, the competent administration shall not be considered as having consented to the amendment to annex I to this Agreement, and the proposed amendment shall not be accepted, until such time as the said competent administration notifies the Secretary-General that it has obtained the required authorization or approval. If such notification is not made within a period of eighteen months following the date on which the proposed amendment was communicated to the said competent administration or if, within the period of six months specified above, the competent administration of a Contracting Party directly concerned expresses an objection to the proposed amendment, that amendment shall not be accepted.
5. Any amendment accepted shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to all the Contracting Parties and shall come into force for all the Contracting Parties three months after the date of its communication.

1. Annexes II and III to this Agreement may be amended by the procedure specified in this article.
2. Upon the request of a Contracting Party, any amendment proposed by it to annexes II and III to this Agreement shall be considered in the Working Party on Road Transport of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE).
3. If adopted by the majority of those present and voting, and if such majority includes the majority of the Contracting Parties present and voting, the amendment shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to the competent administrations of all Contracting Parties for acceptance.
4. Such amendment shall be accepted if during a period of six months from the date of notification, less than one-third of the competent administrations of the Contracting Parties notify the Secretary-General of their objection to the amendment.
5. Any amendment accepted shall be communicated by the Secretary-General to all Contracting Parties and shall come into force three months after the date of its communication with respect to all Contracting Parties except those which, during the six-month period referred to in Article 9.4, make a declaration that they do not accept all or part of the amendment.

Each State shall, at the time of signing, ratifying, accepting, approving or acceding to this Agreement, inform the Secretary-General of the name and address of its administration to which proposed amendments to the annexes to this Agreement are to be communicated in conformity with articles 8 and 9 of this Agreement.

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

This Agreement shall cease to be in force if the number of Contracting Parties is less than eight for any period of twelve consecutive months.

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 of settlement 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.

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 to its external or internal security.

Any State may, at the time of signing this Agreement or of depositing its instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession, declare that it does not consider itself bound by article 13 of this Agreement. Other Contracting Parties shall not be bound by article 13 with respect to any Contracting Party which has made such a declaration.

In addition to the declarations, notifications and communications provided for in articles 7, 8, 9 and 15 of this Agreement, the Secretary-General shall notify the Contracting Parties and the other States referred to in article 5 of the following:
(a) signatures, ratifications, acceptances, approvals and accessions under article 5;
(b) the dates of entry into force of this Agreement in accordance with article 6;
(c) the date of entry into force of amendments to this Agreement in accordance with article 7, paragraph 2 (c), article 8, paragraphs 4 and 5, and article 9;
(d) denunciations under article 11;
(e) the termination of this Agreement under article 12.

After 31 December 1976 the original of this Agreement shall be deposited with the Secretary-General of the United Nations, who shall send certified true copies to all the States referred to in article 5 of this Agreement.