| On 1 July 2011, Armenia became the 47th member of OTIF | ||
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The full effect of Armenia’s application of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) will emerge in conjunction with the imminent accession of Armenia’s neighbours, Georgia and Azerbaijan. Thus in the Caucasus in the near future, there will be a firm basis providing the rail sector with invaluable legal certainty and a significant increase in the efficiency and competitiveness of rail freight transport. |
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| OTIF’s Bulletin enters the electronic age | ||
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The OTIF Secretariat today officially presented to the Administrative Committee the concept and layout of the Organisation’s new Bulletin, which from today will appear exclusively in an electronic format. OTIF’s electronic Bulletin can be ordered free of charge by sending an e-mail to Media(at)otif.org. |
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| Legal certainty for Morocco and its neighbours | ||
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On 28.04.2011 Morocco deposited its instrument ratifying the Vilnius Protocol with the Sec-retary General in Berne. Application of the uniform legal regime will mean significant simplification of international rail transport between Morocco and the neighbouring countries of Algeria and Spain (see press release dated 04.05.2011). |
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| Press release | ||
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On 20 April 2011 the Secretary-General of UNIDROIT and the Secretary General of OTIF issued a press release announcing the winning bidder in relation to the international tender process for the future international registry under the Luxembourg Rail Protocol. |
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| EU’s pending accession to OTIF means convening an extraordinary General Assembly | ||
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For the first time in OTIF’s history, an extraordinary General Assembly will be convened this year, brought about by the European Union as a result of its voting majority in the Administrative Committee at the end of November 2010 in Berne. This action is due to the European Union’s refusal to agree to the outcome of the negotiations reached between the European Commission and OTIF on the European Union’s accession to COTIF and its refusal subsequently to renegotiate some specific points. In particular, the EU’s request only to apply the Convention in future if there is no new EU legislation, which is very questionable in terms of international law, has blocked the accession process.
The extraordinary General Assembly will be held on 22 and 23 June 2011 in Berne. |
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| Accession to OTIF – Associate Member | ||
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| Accession to COTIF | ||
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