UNECE Euro-Asian Transport Linkages Operationalisation of inland transport between Europe and Asia The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe has a long history of support for developing transport connections between Europe and Asia. The EATL project, Phase I (2002–2007), Phase II (2008–2012) and Phase III (2013–2017) made transport between Europe and Asia a reality. The identification of routes, the prioritization of infrastructure investment projects, the development of a Geographical Information System (GIS) database, the analysis of non-physical obstacles to transport, the comparison study between maritime and inland transport, the organization of numerous national capacity-building workshops on transport facilitation as 3 Report − Phase Links (EATL) Transport Euro-Asian well as the efforts to operationalize those corridors by preparing common time schedules and tariffs, have all helped to lay the foundation for a more efficient Euro-Asian transport network. Phase III gathered 38 countries from Europe and Asia and concluded that road and rail transportation along Euro-Asian corridors is Phase 3 ReportPhase supplementing rather than competing with maritime transport, providing alternative delivery options, especially for high value and time-sensitive cargo, including in the context of growing e-commerce between Europe and Asia. During Phase III of the project, Governments in the EATL region have consistently worked on addressing the physical and non-physical obstacles to international transport on the EATL routes. Yet some key challenges remain, including: Missing or outdated road & railway links and inter-modal/transhipment infrastructure on some segments; Cumbersome border crossing, customs and transit procedures due to a lack of access to & implementation of UN legal instruments; Lack of harmonized operating and technical inter-operability standards for railway infrastructure & rolling stock; Different legal regimes for railway transport contracts; as well as discrepancies between West and Eastbound cargo traffic on EATL routes, the lack of efficient corridor specific public-private sector coordination platforms, work plans and key performance indicators. The work towards untapping the economic and trade potential of the Euro-Asian landlocked region has been undertaking. More efforts are needed to enhance the operationalisation of EATL Euro-Asian Transport Links (EATL) Transport Euro-Asian and ECE will continue playing a leading role in this regard. Information Service United Nations Economic Commission for Europe UNITED NATIONS UNITED Palais des Nations United Nations publication CH - 1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland Sales No. E.19.II.E.9 Telephone: +41(0)22 917 12 34 ISBN 978-92-1-117187-7 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.unece.org Layout and Printing at United Nations, Geneva – 1920737 (E) – February 2020 – 567 – ECE/TRANS/265/Rev.1 UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Euro-Asian Transport Linkages Operationalisation of inland transport between Europe and Asia New York and Geneva, 2020 Note The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The maps in this publication are only for information purposes. The boundaries and names shown, and the designations used on the maps do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. The data provided in this report have been compiled by the secretariat from available sources. This volume is issued in English and Russian only. Copyright © United Nations, 2020 All rights reserved world wide. No part of this publication may, for sales purposes, be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from the United Nations. ECE/TRANS/265/Rev.1 UNITED NATIONS PUBLICATION Sales No. E.19.II.E.9 ISBN 978-92-1-117187-7 eISBN 978-92-1-047592-1 ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Acknowledgments The EATL Phase III draft report was prepared by the UNECE Group of Experts on Euro-Asian Transport Links under the auspices of the Working Party on Transport Trends and Economics (WP.5) with substantive inputs provided by the State Scientific Research Institute of Motor Transport (NIIAT) in Moscow. The work benefited from significant contributions by Mr. Alexander Zaboev, Mr. Vadim Donchenko and Mr. Alexander Kolik (PhD), professor at Russian High School of Economics (HSE). At the UNECE Sustainable Transport Division the EATL Phase III project was coordinated by Mr. Miroslav Jovanovic, Mr. Lukasz Wyrowski and Mr. Roel Janssens under the supervision of Mr. Konstantinos Alexopoulos. The UNECE Secretariat expresses its gratitude to the Government of the Russian Federation for having funded various activities of the Phase III of the project. I EURO–ASIAN TRANSPORT LINKAGES OPERATIONALISATION OF INLAND TRANSPORT BETWEEN EUROPE AND ASIA United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) is one of the five United Nations regional commissions, administered by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). It was established in 1947 with the mandate to help rebuild post-war Europe, develop economic activity and strengthen economic relations among European countries, and between Europe and the rest of the world. During the Cold War, UNECE served as a unique forum for economic dialogue and cooperation between East and West. Despite the complexity of this period, significant achievements were made, with consensus reached on numerous harmonization and standardization agreements. In the post-Cold War era, UNECE acquired not only many new member States, but also new functions. Since the early 1990s the organization has focused on analyses of the transition process, using its harmonization experience to facilitate the integration of central and eastern European countries into global markets. UNECE is the forum where the countries of western, central and eastern Europe, Central Asia and North America – 56 countries in all – come together to forge the tools of their cooperation. That cooperation concerns economic cooperation and integration, statistics, environment, transport, trade, sustainable energy, forestry and timber, housing and land management and population. The Commission offers a regional framework for the elaboration and harmonization of conventions, norms and standards. The Commission’s experts provide technical assistance to the countries of South-East Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States. This assistance takes the form of advisory services, training seminars and workshops where countries can share their experiences and best practices. II ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE Transport in UNECE The UNECE Sustainable Transport Division is the secretariat of the Inland Transport Committee (ITC) and the ECOSOC Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals. The ITC and its 17 working parties, as well as the ECOSOC Committee and its sub-committees are intergovernmental decision-making bodies that work to improve the daily lives of people and businesses around the world, in measurable ways and with concrete actions, to enhance traffic safety, environmental performance, energy efficiency and the competitiveness of the transport sector. The ECOSOC Committee was set up in 1953 by the Secretary-General of the United Nations at the request of the Economic and Social Council to elaborate recommendations on the transport of dangerous goods. Its mandate was extended to the global (multi-sectoral) harmonization of systems of classification and labelling of chemicals in 1999. It is composed of experts from countries which possess the relevant expertise and experience in the international trade and transport of dangerous goods and chemicals. Its membership is restricted to reflect a proper geographical balance between all regions of the world and to ensure adequate participation of developing countries. Although the Committee is a subsidiary body of ECOSOC, the Secretary-General decided in 1963 that the secretariat services would be provided by the UNECE Transport Division. ITC is a unique intergovernmental forum that was set up in 1947 to support the reconstruction of transport connections in post-war Europe. Over the years, it has specialized in facilitating the harmonized and sustainable development of inland modes of transport. The main results of this persevering and ongoing work are reflected, among other things, (i) in 58 United Nations conventions and many more technical regulations, which are updated on a regular basis and provide an international legal framework for the sustainable development of national and international road, rail, inland water and intermodal transport, including the transport of dangerous goods, as well as the construction and inspection of road motor vehicles; (ii) in the Trans-European North-south Motorway, Trans-European Railway and the Euro-Asia Transport Links projects, that facilitate multi- country coordination of transport infrastructure investment programmes; (iii) in the TIR system, which is a global customs transit facilitation solution; (iv)