Preamble
The States that are Parties to this Convention, hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”,
Conscious of the need to increase the competitiveness of rail transport vis-à- vis other transport
modes by facilitating international transport of goods by rail between Europe and
Asia,
Noting the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) of 9 May 1980 in
the version of the Modification Protocol of 3 June 1999, in particular the Uniform
Rules concerning the Contract of International Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM – Appendix
B to the Convention),
Noting the Agreement on International Railway Freight Communications (SMGS),
Noting the need to make provisions for circumstances where neither CIM nor SMGS rules apply
over the entire journey, in particular for Euro-Asian rail freight connections,
Considering that in order to facilitate such transport, it is essential to standardize the conditions
for governing the contract of international carriage of goods by rail, particularly
with respect to the documents used for such a carriage and the carrier’s liability,
Conscious of the rapid increase in transport by rail between Europe and Asia and the need to
increase the market share of rail transport to reduce the environmental impact of
freight transport by easing the administrative and contractual barriers that exist
in the sector,
Noting that the present Convention will co-exist with the two existing rail legal regimes
(CIM and SMGS) which remain applicable for the international carriage of goods within
their respective geographical areas,