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The Berne Railway Conventions in a New Shape: The Convention of International Railway Transport (Cotif)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 May 2009

J.H.P. Boudewijnse
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Extract

The above quoted wishes, written in 1973 by the British official who was chief-delegate of the United Kingdom at the revision-conferences of CIM/CIV//CAV held in the years 1966 – 1972, have finally all been fullfilled by the CONVENTION OF INTERNATIONAL RAILWAY TRANSPORT (C O T I F), signed at Berne on the 9th of May 1980. But the preceding struggle has been long and protracted, as this paper will indicate.

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Articles
Information
Netherlands International Law Review , Volume 29 , Issue 2 , August 1982 , pp. 151 - 173
Copyright
Copyright © T.M.C. Asser Press 1982

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References

1. Hill, G.G.D., “Recollection of a United Kingdom Delegate”, BTI 1973 p. 144–146Google Scholar. B T I = “Bulletin des transports internationaux par chemins de fer/Zeitschrift für den internationalen Eisenbahnverkehr”, ed. by the Central Office of the international railway transport (OCTI), Gryphenhübeliweg 30, CH–3006 Berne (Switzerland)Google Scholar.

2. COTIF = Convention relative aux transports internationaux ferroviaires.

3. CIM = Convention Internationale concernant le transport des marchandises par chemins de fer.

4. CIV = Convention international concernant le transport des voyageurs et des bagages par chemins de fer.

5. Règies uniformes concemant le contrat de transport international ferroviaire des voyageurs et des bagages (CIV), Appendice A à la Convention relative aux transports internationaux feiroviaires (COTIF) du 9 mai 1980.

6. Règies uniformes concernant le contrat de transport international ferroviaire des marchandises (CIM), Appendice B à la Convention relative aux transports internationaux ferroviaires (COTIF) du 9 mai 1980.

7. Denmark, the German Democratic Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain.

8. Authentic text in Trbl. 1980 nr. 160.

9. Protocole sur les privilèges et immunités de l'Organisation intergouvernementale pour les transports internationaux ferroviaires (OTIF).

Authentic text in Trbt. 1980 nr. 160 p. 20 – 24.

10. See the author's acad. diss. “De aanspiakelijkheid van de vervoerder volgens het internationale Verdiag betreffende het Goederenvervoer per Spooiweg (CIM)” (“The liability of the carrier as regulated in the International Convention concerning the transport of goods by rail (CIM)”), Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam 1982, p. 222 et seq.. The dissertation is written in the Dutch language, with a summary in the German language. It is obtainable at the author's address: Kruislaan 13, 3721 AL Bilthoven (Netherlands).

11. The lists are obtainable at the OCTI's office, Gryphenhübeliweg 30, CH-3006 Berne. Dutch CIM-list mentions following lines (15 – V – 1981):

a) the network of NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen;

b) rail-line Coevorden to Dutch/German frontier, worked by Bentheimer Eisenbahn;

c) auto-line Hoek van Holland – Rotterdam of NV Trailstar;

d) a number of auto-lines of Van Gend & Loos NV;

e) shipping-line Rotterdam – Le Havre – Waterford – Dublin of NV Maatschappij Zeevaart;

f) shipping-line Rotterdam – Dublin – Waterford, run by British and Irish Steampacket Co. Ltd.;

g)shipping-line Hoek van Holland – Harwich, jointly managed by Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (Konk. Ned. Postvaart NV) and British Railways.

British CIM-list mentions following lines (1 – 1 – 1976):

a) the network of British Railways;

b) 3 rail-lines of the North Ireland Railways Company Ltd.;

c) shipping-lines Harwich – Zeebrugge (wagon-ferry) and Holyhead – Dublin and Belfast of British Railways;

d) shipping-line Hoek van Holland – Harwich (see above);

e) shipping-lines to the Continent jointly managed by British Railways and SNCF (among which the wagon-ferry Dover – Dunkerque) and by B R and NMBS.

12. Rapport de l'Office central sur la 8e Conférence de révision des Conventions internationales du 7 février 1970 concemant le transport par chemins de fer des marchandises (CIM) et des voyageurs et des bagages (CIV) ainsi que de la Convention additionclle à la CIV du 26 février 1966, tenue du 30 avril au 9 mai 1980, p. 13 nr. 46.

13. Annexe X of CIM 1933. The numbers of the Annexes have been changed since then: Annexe X CIM 1933 became Annexe III CIM 1970, Annexe VII CIM 1933 became Annexe IV CIM 1970, Annexe IX CIM 1933 became Annexe V CIM 1970. Of the Uniform Rules CIM R I P is Annexe II, R I C o is Annexe III. The abbreviations R I P and R I C o are the same as in 1950, their contents however have been altered considerably in the meantime.

15. von Nánássy, B., “Wie die intemationalen Uebereinkommen über den Eisenbahnveikehr (I Ue P und I Ue G) neu zu gestalten wäien”, BTI 1938 p. 570 et seqGoogle Scholar.

16. id., “Die künftige Gestaltung des I Ue P und des I Ue G”, BTI 1941 p. 509 et seq.; id., “Entwurf eines neuen Intemationalen Uebereinkommens über ein einheitliches Eisenbahnbeförderungsrecht”, BTI 1943 p. 246 et seq., id., “Die Frage der Beschleunigung und Vereinfachung des Ratiflkations- und Inkraftsetzungsverfahrens betreffend das I Ue P und I Ue G”, BTI 1948 p. 351–360, id., “Aenderung der Struktur von CIM und CIV ist erwünscht”, Internationale Transportzeitung (Basel) 1961 p. 1759.

17. Giannini, A., “La révision des Conventions de Berne concernant les transports par chemins de fer (CIV et CIM)”, BTI 1939 p. 87 et seqGoogle Scholar.; Markovic, D., “Ausscheidung der beförderungsrechtlichen Bestimmungen der intemationalen Uebereinkommen aus den eigentlichen Staatsverträgen zwecks Erleichterung und Beschleunigung der Ratiflkation der auf den Revisionskonferenzen beschlossenen Aendeiungen”, BTI 1939 p. 142 et seq.Google Scholar; Wildhaber, A., “Betrachtungen über die Umgestaltung der Uebereinkommen CIM und CIV”, BTI 1960 p. 174–179Google Scholar.

18. Friebe, K., “Zur Revision der Intemationalen Uebereinkommen über den Eisenbahnverkehr (I Ue G und I Ue P)”, BTI 1939 p. 39 et seq.Google Scholar; Schmid, E. E., “Die künftige Gestaltung des I Ue P und des I Ue G”, BTI 1942 p. 85 et seqGoogle Scholar.; Durand, P., “Les conventions de Berne doivent-elles être structurées à nouveau?”, BTI 1961 p. 242–246Google Scholar; Parateau, R., “La révision accélérée des Conventions de Berne”, BTI 1959 p. 127–138Google Scholar; Borgognon, P., “Révision et refonte de la CIM et de la CIV”, BTI 1959 p. 276–282Google Scholar; Brás, Wl., “Beitrag zur Frage der Umgestaltung der ZIM und CIV”, BTI 1963 p. 94–104Google Scholar.

19. In a speech to the 3rd International Congress of the I V T (= Internationaler Verband der Tarifeure), held at Vienna on the 9th of May 1972. Text of the speech (“Die Entwicklung des intemationalen Eisenbahnfrachtrechtes”) in BTI 1972 p. 105–120.

20. Actes de la Vie conference de révision CIM/CIV t. I p. 109, 111, 112 and 137.

21. Id. t. II p. 107 and 114.

22. Id. t. II p. 275 and 282 (“La Conférence a donné mandat á l'Office central des transports par chemins de fer (-) d'étudier le problème d'une modification de la structure des Conventions CIM et CIV et d'élaborei un projet pour la piochaine conférence de révision ordinaire”).

23. Description of the contents of the draft in BTI 1966 p. 142–145.

24. The texts to which France referred, were those of the artt. 53 and 34 of her Constitution of October the 4th 1958, viz.: “(-) qui modifient des dispositions de nature législative, (-) ne peuvent être modifiées ou approuvées qu'en vertu d'une loi”, and “la loi détermine les principes fondamentaux (-) des obligations civiles et commerciales”.

25. Report of the session of the commission (5–9 May 1967) in BTI 1967 p. 120–124.

26. Actes de la VIIe conférence de révision CIM/CIV t. I p. 193.

27. Id. t. II p. 148 and 282 (“(-) de poursuivre les travaux entrepiis jusqu'ici en vue de simplifier les dispositions des Conventions CIM et CIV, en modifiant la structure de ces Conventions et, en paiticulier, leur systématique”).

28. Summary of the report and the questionnaire in BTI 1974 p. 150–154.

29. Viz. the I V T (see note 19), the F I A T A (= Fédération Internationale des Associations des Transporteurs et Assimilés) and the C I T (= Comité international des transports). C I T is an organization of the railways performing the transports on rail between the member-States of CIM/CIV.

30. France, Italy, Rumania, German Democratic Republic, Tunesia and Iran.

31. Summary and analysis of the replies to the questionnaire in BTI1975 p. 102–110.

32. Summary of the sessions of Preparing Commission I in BTI 1976 p. 31, 66, 105, BTI 1977 p. 19, 39, BTI 1978 p. 125.

33. The denomination of the OCTI has been changed only slightly. Named of old “Office central des transports internationaux par chemins de fer”, in the Treaty of 9–5–1980 it is called: “Office central des transports internationaux ferroviaires”.

34. Lastly Annexe II to CIM 1970, Annexe I to CIV 1970.

35. Subscriptions are received at the OCTI's office, Gryphenhübeliweg 30, CH-3006 Berne (Switzerland). Costs of an annual subscription: Fr.s. 30,-.

36. See at large our acad. diss. (mentioned in note 10), p. 410 et seq..

37. A complete survey in: “Bericht des Zentralamtes ubet die Umfrage betieffend Schiedsgerichtsbarkeit, Schlichtung und Gutachten”, BTI 1972 p. 243–256.

38. Rumania when it signed the COTIF, the German Democratic Republic when it ratified it.

39. For the Uniform Rules CIM see our acad. diss., passim.

40. The Committee of Administration decided so in her meeting of 22-9-1981 (report of the session in BTI 1981 p. 142).

41. See note 12.

42. Mátyássy, Z. und Mutz, G., “Das Uebereinkommen über den internationalen Eisenbahnverkehr (COTIF) vom 9. Mai 1980”, BTI 1981 p. 1–38Google Scholar; Ingold, M., “Les nouvelles Règies uniformes CIM (RU/CIM) (Appendice B à la COTIF du 9 mai 1980)”, BTI 1981 p. 40–73Google Scholar; Amberg, H., “Allgemeine Würdiging der 8. Revision – Zukunftsaufgaben”. BTI 1981 p. 84–106Google Scholar; Yéretzian, K., “Considérations économiques sur la Convention relative aux transports internationaux ferroviaires (COTIF)”, BTI 1981 p. 112–122Google Scholar; id., “Bilan des travaux de révision de la CIV et de la Convention additionnelle à la CIV”, BTI 1979 p. 97–103.