2020 – 2029
China: Application for accession to OTIF
26.4.2024
On 26 April 2024, the People’s Republic of China deposited an application to accede to the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail as an Associate Member, in accordance with Article 39 …
Moldova: application for accession to OTIF
26.3.2024
In accordance with Article 37 of COTIF, the Republic of Moldova has deposited an application for accession to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) of 9 May 1980 …
14.3.2024
On Thursday, 14 March 2024, a symbolic ground-breaking ceremony attended by around twenty guests was held to mark the start of the renovation work on the headquarters of the Intergovernmental…
The Luxembourg Rail Protocol enters into force
8.3.2024
At a ceremony today, 8 March 2024, the Luxembourg Rail Protocol to the Cape Town Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment formally entered into force….
28.2.2024
On 8 March 2024, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), as the Secretariat of the Supervisory Authority, will deposit with the International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT),…
RID 2023 also available in Russian
22.2.2024
The 2023 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) is now available on OTIF’s website in Russian….
International cooperation: UNECE and OTIF
25.1.2024
On Thursday, 25 January, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, the Secretary General of OTIF, welcomed Mr Yuwei Li to the Organisation’s temporary premises in Berne. Mr Yuwei Li is the Director of the United…
7.12.2023
On 5 April 2022, the ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation adopted the Recommendation on involving stakeholders in OTIF’s work….
RID Committee of Experts’ Standing Working Group in London
20.11.2023
The 16th session of the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group, which also marks the 130th anniversary of the Dangerous Goods Regulations for rail transport…
25.10.2023
The ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation will hold its 5th session from 7 to 9 November 2023 in Berne. This will be a meeting without remote participation….
7.9.2023
From 19 to 24 September 2023, the Joint Meeting of the RID Committee of Experts and the UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods will be held in Geneva, Switzerland…
50th Session of Working Group TECH
24.8.2023
The 50th session of the standing working group technology (WG TECH) will be held at OTIF’s temporary premises in Gümligen on 7 and 8 September 2023. Remote participation will also be possible…
6th Session of the Joint Coordinating Group of Experts
21.8.2023
The 6th session of the Joint Coordinating Group of Experts will be held in Berne on 6 September 2023. Remote participation will also be possible. The aim of the JCGE is to ensure that the legislation…
High level meeting on Euro-Asian traffic
20.6.2023
On Monday 19 June 2023, a delegation from China’s National Rail Administration (NRA) visited the headquarters of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) in Berne…
15.6.2023
The 2023 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) entered into force on 1 January 2023. As with each publication of a new edition of RID…
Are you a lawyer? Then join OTIF
9.6.2023
The Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) is recruiting a lawyer to join the Legal Department. This is a full time post. The contract will be for three years and is renewable…
15th Session of the Committee of Technical Experts
30.5.2023
The Committee of Technical Experts (CTE) will hold its 15th session in Berne on 13 and 14 June 2023. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format. According to the provisional agenda, the Committee will deal with a proposal for …
19.4.2023
On 19 April 2023 in Berne, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, met the Secretary General of the Intergovernmental Commission (IGC) of Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia (TRACECA)…
Ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation: 4th Session in Berne
30.3.2023
The ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation will hold its 4th session from 18 to 20 April 2023 in Berne. Observers (international organisations and registered stakeholders) are invited to participate on 19 April 2023…
21.3.2023
On 21 March 2023 in Warsaw, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, met the Secretary of State at Poland’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Mr Andrzej Bittel. Among other things, they discussed the latest developments…
14.3.2023
On 13 March 2023 in Rabat, OTIF’s Secretary General Wolfgang Küpper had a meeting with the Minister of Transport and Logistics of the Kingdom of Morocco, Mr Mohamed Abdeljalil. They discussed the railways and Morocco’s transport priorities.
3.3.2023
From 20 to 24 March 2023, the Joint Meeting of the RID Committee of Experts and the UNECE Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods will be held in Berne, Switzerland. As OTIF has agreed to maintain the…
New ownership of Registrar designate for the Luxembourg Rail Protocol
18.1.2023
The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT) and the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) are pleased to announce the Canadian listed company, Information Services….
Luxembourg Rail Protocol: Preparatory Commission
1.12.2022
On 29 and 30 November 2022 at the headquarters of UNIDROIT in Rome, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, attended the 11th session of the Preparatory Commission for the establishment of the International…
OTIF and the UNESCAP Committee on Transport
24.11.2022
From 23 to 25 November 2022, the seventh session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Committee on Transport is being held in Bangkok, Thailand, in a hybrid…
18.11.2022
The Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, congratulates the new Secretary General of the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT), Mr Gilles Mugnier. Mr Gilles Mugnier was elected yesterday by the General Assembly…
15.11.2022
Today, 15 November, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, took part in the EUMedRail Final Conference organised by the European Union Agency for Railways. The main objective of this final conference was…
9.11.2022
The 2023 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) is now available on the website of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF)…
New Permanent Representative of Belgium
18.10.2022
Today, Tuesday 18 October, His Excellency Mr Pascal Heyman, Belgian Ambassador to Switzerland, visited the headquarters of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) in Berne. He presented…
Ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation: 3rd session in London
21.09.2022
With the support of the Department for Transport of the United Kingdom, the ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation will hold its third session in London from 4 to 6 October 2022.
Joint Coordinating Group of Experts: fifth session
29.08.2022
The Joint Coordinating Group of Experts (JCGE) will meet on 6 September 2022. This fifth session will be in a hybrid format, taking place in Berne and online.
136th Session of OTIF’s Administrative Committee
22.08.2022
OTIF’s Administrative Committee will hold its 136th session (hybrid) on 31 August and 1 September 2022. Belgium, in the shape of Ms Clio Liégeois, will chair the Committee.
25.07.2022
At its 2nd session on 5 April 2022, the ad hoc Committee on Legal Affairs and International Cooperation adopted a “Recommendation on involving stakeholders in OTIF’s work.”
21.07.2022
At the invitation of the Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mr. Rashad Nabiyev, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr. Wolfgang Küpper, travelled to Baku for an official 4-day visit…
30.06.2022
On 24 May 2022, the 57th session of the Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (RID Committee of Experts) was held in Berne (hybrid meeting)….
Withdrawal of Estonia’s reservations
20.06.2022
On 29 April 2022, Estonia deposited with the Secretary General of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) its instrument of withdrawal of reservations concerning application of the…
9.06.2022
On 9 June 2022, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, spoke at the 2022 Berne Days organised by the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT) in Berne. This year, CIT is celebrating its 120th year….
14th Session of the Committee of Technical Experts
7.06.2022
The Committee of Technical Experts (CTE) will hold its 14th session in Berne on 14 and 15 June 2022. The meeting will be held in a hybrid format. According to the provisional agenda,…
19.05.2022
OTIF’s Secretary General, Mr Küpper, was invited as a speaker at the major “Middle East Rail 2022” event in Abu Dhabi, hosted by Etihad Rail…
17.05.2022
The Secretariat of OTIF is launching two consultations: one on the rules concerning electronic rail transport documents and the other on the rules concerning negotiable transport documents in rail transport…
Dangerous goods: last lap towards RID 2023
12.05.2022
The Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (RID Committee of Experts) will hold its 57th session on 24 May 2022.The RID Committee of Experts’ task will be to give final approval to…
On the occasion of the Rail Working Group’s Annual Assembly
3.05.2022
On Tuesday 3 May 2022, the Secretary General of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF), Mr Wolfgang Küpper, was invited to present OTIF to participants at the Rail Working Group’s 14th Annual Assemblys…
Technical interoperability, a goal shared with the EU – the ERTMS 2022 Conference
28.04.2022
Yesterday, 27 April 2022, OTIF’s Secretary General, Mr Küpper, took part in the round table discussion on the second day of the ERTMS 2022 Conference organised by the European Union Agency for Railways…
Joint Statement by the Secretary General of OTIF and the Chairman of the OSJD Committee
21.03.2022
Today, 21 March 2022, OTIF’s Secretary General, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, and the Chairman of OSJD Committee, Mr Mirosław Antonowicz, made a joint statement on the state of war between OTIF and OSJD Member States.
RID 2021 also available in Russian
28.10.2021
The 2021 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) is now available on OTIF’s website in Russian…
Election of the Secretary General of OTIF
28.9.2021
On Tuesday 28 September 2021, Mr Wolfgang Küpper was re-elected for a three-year term of office as head of the Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail…
Hop On! On board a special train
27.9.2021
Today, 27 September 2021, OTIF’s Secretary General, Wolfgang Küpper is on board the “Connecting Europe Express” train, which arrives in Bern, the capital of Switzerland at 5.50 p.m. Bern was a pioneer city…
Joint Coordinating Group of Experts: fourth meeting
24.8.2021
The Joint Coordinating Group of Experts (JCGE) will meet on 7 and 8 September 2021 for the fourth time. The meeting will be held remotely by video-conference. Since it was set up, this ad hoc working group has…
Consultation: Interfaces between customs and transport regulations
16.8.2021
The Secretariat of OTIF is launching a consultation with all OTIF members and interested parties from the rail, transport and customs sectors. The aim of the consultation is to gather information and opinions…
1.7.2021
On Wednesday 30 June, OTIF’s Secretary General, Wolfgang Küpper, met the new Director for Land Transport of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, Kristian Schmidt….
22.6.2021
The 2021 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) entered into force on 1 January 2021.The transitional period ends on 30 June 2021…
For the harmonisation of rail transport law
17.6.2021
On 17 June 2021, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Küpper, will participate as a guest in the Ministerial Conference of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD)…
13th Session of the Committee of Technical Experts (CTE)
8.6.2021
The Committee of Technical Experts (CTE) will hold its 13th session in Berne on 22 and 23 June 2021. In view of the uncertain situation with regard to the pandemic, the meeting will be held remotely. In line with the provisional agenda, the Committee will give its opinion on the adoption…
6.5.2021
The 9th session of the Preparatory Commission for the Establishment of the International Registry for Railway Rolling Stock pursuant to the Luxembourg…
134th Session of OTIF’s Administrative Committee
3.5.2021
OTIF’s Administrative Committee will hold its 134th session on 19 and 20 May 2021 as a remote meeting. This will be the last session in the 2018-2021 term of office for members of the Committee…
Extension of the RID multilateral special agreements necessitated by the coronavirus crisis
27.4.2021
The Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) allows RID Contracting States to authorise certain transport operations on their territories under temporary derogations…
3.3.2021
The second session of the RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting in the 2020/2021 biennium will be held from 15 to 19 March 2021. As many of the States parties still have travel restrictions in place, the secretariats of the UNECE and OTIF jointly decided to organise….
OTIF’s 15th General Assembly: 28-29 September 2021
03.12.2020
OTIF will hold its 15th General Assembly on 28 and 29 September 2021 in Berne, Switzerland. The General Assembly will be held in the presence of participants, unless the health situation makes this impossible….
12th Session of the standing working group: remote meeting
17.11.2020
The 12th session of the standing working group will now be held from 24 to 26 November 2020. There will be interpretation in OTIF’s three working languages and in Russian in order to aid the harmonisation of RID and SMGS Annex 2. According to the provisional agenda…
New UTP and draft modifications: agenda of WG TECH 42
9.11.2020
The standing working group technology, WG TECH, will hold its 42nd session as a video-conference on 17 and 18 November 2020.
Publication of the new edition of RID
4.11.2020
The 2021 edition of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) is now available on the website of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) in the Organisation’s three working languages (French, German, English).
OTIF-DG MOVE-ERA : Signing of the second Administrative Arrangement
Long term cooperation
30.09.2020
On 29 September 2020, OTIF signed a tripartite administrative arrangement with the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA)…
A high-level partnership for international rulemaking
04.09.2020
On 3 September 2020, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, took part in the 7th Annual Meeting for International Organisations organised by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The meeting was held remotely as a video-conference….
26.08.2020
The RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting will hold its first session of the 2020/2021 biennium on 10 and 11 and from 14 to 18 September 2020. As the Joint Meeting in March 2020 had to be cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the usual meeting…
3rd Session of the Joint Coordinating Group of Experts (JCGE)
21.08.2020
The 3rd session of the Joint Coordinating Group of Experts (JCGE) will be held on 8 and 9 September 2020 by video-conference. The aim of the JCGE is to ensure that the legislation of the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Goods by Rail (RID…
41st Session of Working Group TECH
20.08.2020
The 41st session of Working Group TECH will be held remotely by video-conference on 9 and 10 September 2020. The main focus at this 41st session will be on preparing the documents and discussions of the next Committee of Technical Experts. It is important that the Member States…
Consequences of COVID-19 developments for the work of OTIF
04.06.2020
The Secretariat of OTIF is monitoring the situation closely and is doing everything possible to ensure that future international organisations can take place under conditions in which there are no health risks for the participants. In the event that the current health crisis continues, it is also looking…
Cancellation of the session of the Administrative Committee scheduled for 25 and 26 June 2020
28.05.2020
Since February 2020 and the spread of COVID-19, several Member States of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) have put in place restrictive border-crossing measures…
Committee of Technical Experts: cancelled
Working Group TECH: remote meeting
26.05.2020
Owing to the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), many of OTIF’s Member States are facing an exceptional situation. The Secretariat of OTIF is closely following developments concerning the pandemic…
Joint Statement on global supply chain continuity during COVI-19 pandemic
15.05.2020
The World Customs Organization (WCO), the lntergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and the Organisation for Co-operation between Railways (OSJD) would like to emphasize that coordination…
3 May 2020 – Staff will return to work at the OTIF Secretariat’s premises
21.04.2020
The Secretariat of OTIF is paying close attention to developments concerning the coronavirus disease pandemic(COVID-19) and is complying with the recommendations and measures of the World Health Organization (WHO)…
RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group: postponed
RID Committee of Experts: cancelled
15.04.2020
The Secretariat also supports the measures to protect public health that have been implemented by the Member States. Consequently, following consultation with the chair and vice-chair of the RID Committee of Experts…
Work of the OTIF Secretariat during the corona crisis
02.04.2020
The Secretariat of OTIF, particularly the dangerous goods department, must make its contribution during the corona crisis in order to resolve problems arising from the crisis….
Teleworking and continuity of service
30.03.2020
The Secretariat of OTIF is closely following developments concerning the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and is complying with the recommendations…
Working Group of Legal Experts and ad hoc Committee on Cooperation:
postponed
18.03.2020
In respect and support of the measures taken by OTIF Member States to protect public health, the meetings of the Working Group of Legal Experts…
Extraordinary measure within the OTIF Secretariat
17.03.2020
The Secretariat of OTIF is closely following developments concerning the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and is complying with the recommendations and measures,…
Cancellation of the RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting
12.03.2020
Developments in recent days in the UNECE and OTIF Member States regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, which we have been following very closely, have compelled us,…
The last RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting for the 2021 edition
2.03.2020
The RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting will be held from 16 to 20 March 2020 in Berne, Switzerland…
17.02.2020
On 13 February 2020, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper, spoke at the 2020 Berne Days organised by the International Rail Transport Committee (CIT)….
International Transport Forum Consultation Day
29.01.2020
On 28 January 2020, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Küpper, took part in the Consultation Day organised by OECD’s International Transport Forum (ITF). As always, the Secretary General was pleased to accept the ITF’s invitation…
21.01.2020
At the invitation of the Swiss Confederation’s Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, on Tuesday, 21 January 2020, the Secretary General of OTIF, Mr Wolfgang Küpper participated in the “Geneva Day” …