Session XLVIII of the Ministerial Conference of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways

28.09.202012:40

Session XLVIII of the OSJD Ministerial Conference was held from 28 till 30 September 2020 in a videoconference format with the participation of the delegations of the OSJD Ministerial Conference members from the following OSJD member countries:

Republic of Azerbaijan,Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, Republic of Belarus, Republic of Bulgaria, Hungary, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Georgia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Republic of Kazakhstan, People’s Republic of China, Republic of Korea, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Moldova, Mongolia, Republic of Poland, Russian Federation, Romania, Slovak Republic, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Republic of Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Republic of Estonia.

The session was also attended by the invited representatives of the OSJD observer – German Railway JSC (DB AG); international organisations – UNESCAP, OTIF, DG MOVE, CIT, CCTT, UIC, CSZT and OSJD affiliated enterprise – PLASKE JSC, as well as members and staff of the OSJD Committee.

The agenda included the following items:

  • Report on OSJD Activities for 2019;
  • Report of the OSJD Auditing Commission for 2019;
  • working results of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy for 2019;
  • working results of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law for 2019;
  • amendments to the “Agreement on the organisational and operational aspects of combined transport in the traffic between Europe and Asia”;
  • information of the OSJD Committee on the work progress under the UNECE auspicious “Towards a unified railway law in the Pan-European region and in the Euro-Asian transport corridors”;
  • work progress of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport;
  • OSJD Work Programme for 2021 and subse-quent years;
  • consideration of the international independent auditing report of financial activities held for the period of 5 years;
  • payment status of membership fees;
  • OSJD Committee Budget (final - for 2020, preliminary - for 2021);
  • consideration of nominating a candidate to the post of OSJD Committee Chairman;
  • draft provisional agenda, venue and date of session XLIX of the OSJD Ministerial Conference.

The OSJD Ministerial Conference has noted the implementation of the OSJD Work Programme and Work Plans for 2019 and has approved the Report on OSJD Activities for 2019, the Report of the OSJD Auditing Commission for 2019, the OSJD Work Programme for 2021 and subsequent years, as well as OSJD Committee budget (final - for 2020, preliminary - for 2021).

In the field of transport policy and development strategy, the Ministerial Conference has taken the following decisions:

  • to approve the results of work of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy for 2019;
  • to take into account the information “Progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Plans for improving transportation and developing the OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13 until 2020”:
    • information on the “Progress in the implementation of the Comprehensive Plans for improving the transportation and developing the OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13 until 2020”;
    • information on the indicators of the OSJD Railway Transport Corridors Nos. 1-13;
  • the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy shall continue its work on the exchange of experience in the field of strategic development and reforms of the railway transport of the OSJD member countries;
  • to hold a Round Table in 2021 on the results and plans for reforming railway transport in the OSJD member countries;
  • in order to implement the provisions of the Convention on Facilitating the Border Crossing Procedures in the International Carriage of Passengers, Luggage and Goods Luggage by Rail, which has been open for signing since 2019, to call on the OSJD member countries concerned to joining it, as well as to inform the OSJD Committee about the work being done in this regard;
  • to approve the amendments and updates made into the draft OSJD Leaflet R 305/1 “OSJD Glossary” in terms of vocational education/ training in the field of railway transport;
  • to recommend the OSJD member countries to provide statistical data in accordance with the agreed template forms in full and on time.

In the field of transport law, the following decisions have been taken:

  • to approve the results of work of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law for 2019;
  • to continue working towards improving the SMPS and Service Instruction (SI) to SMPS, SMGS and SI to SMGS.
  • to continue working on the “Directory. Documents regulating the international passenger traffic”;
  • the AWG in the field of the Rules for the transportation of dangerous goods shall continue the work on updating Annex 2 to SMGS;
  • the AWG on the development of technical regulations for the stowing and fastening of goods shall:
    • continue the development of the provisions for technical regulations for stowing and fastening of goods in wagons with a track gauge of 1520 mm;
    • begin the development of the draft “Technical regulations for stowing and fastening of goods in containers” as a leaflet of obligatory and recommendatory nature;
  • carry out the work in 2021 aimed at improving Annex 3 “Technical regulations for stowing and fastening of goods” to the SMGS Agreement, ensure its development on the basis of the “Methodology for the preparation and development of subjects with special funding” (A-12);
  • to continue the work carried out by the OSJD Commission on Transport Law, aimed at improving Annex 6 to SMGS “CIM/SMGS Consignment Note Guide” within the frame-work of the Project “CIM/SMGS Transport and Legal Harmonization”;
  • within the framework of practical implementation of transportation using the electronic version of the SMGS consignment note and the CIM/ SMGS consignment note, to entrust the OSJD Committee to send an official appeal to the Directorate General of the European Commission for Taxation and Customs (DG TAXUD) and the Directorate General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) requesting them to inform about the cur-rent progress in this field, about the recognition by the customs authorities of the EU countries of the electronic versions of the SMGS, CIM/SMGS, CIM railway consignment notes as a customs document, as well as to entrust the OSJD Committee to invite the DG TAXUD and DG MOVE to hold consultations with the participation of concerned OSJD member countries on this issue in order to accelerate the adoption of relevant decisions;

take note of the information on the introduction of amendments and updates into the SMPS Agreement and SI to SMPS starting from 1 May 2020 and amendments and updates into the SMGS Agreement and SI to SMGS starting from 1 July 2020.

The Ministerial Conference has taken a decision to approve and enter into force starting from 20 October 2020 the amendments into Annex III “Technical characteristics of railway lines being of essential importance for international combined transport” and Annex IV “Transport operational characteristics and minimum infrastructure requirements” to the Agreement on organisational and operational aspects of combined transport in the traffic between Europe and Asia”.

When considering the progress of work carried out by the UNECE “Towards unified railway law in the Pan-European region and in the Euro-Asian transport corridors”, the Ministerial Meeting has decided:

  • to take note of the information of the OSJD Committee on the progress of work carried out in this area;
  • to recommend to the concerned OSJD member countries to participate in the work of the UNECE group of experts “Towards the unified railway law”;

the OSJD Committee shall continue to participate in the work of the UNECE group of experts “Towards the unified railway law”.

When considering the working results of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport, it was decided:

  • to approve the Progress Report of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport for the period of March 2019 – March 2020;
  • to approve the Regulations on the Academy of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways with entry into force from 1 November 2020;
  • to approve the Procedure for registering the documents of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways (OSJD) in the field of vocational training and education, with the entry into force from 1 November 2020;
  • the AWG shall complete, by 15 December

2020, the development of the draft OSJD documents related to the functioning of the OSJD Academy and approve them in accordance with the procedure provided for in paragraph 2 of Article IV of the Regulations of the OSJD Committee;

  • to approve the changes and amendments into the following OSJD documents:
    • into the Statute of the Organisation for Cooperation between Railways,
    • into the OSJD Committee Regulations,
    • into the Regulations of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport;
  • to continue working on:
    • standard training programmes of a recommendatory nature, advanced training and personnel training in the application of OSJD documents; to conduct pilot training projects in the field of application of the OSJD documents with the invitation of the concerned organisations and institutions;
    • holding conferences, seminars/workshops in the field of vocational training and education;
  • to entrust the OSJD Committee:
    • to issue OSJD certificates of an approved form following the results of pilot training projects on the application of OSJD documents, the implementation of which was approved by the OSJD governing bodies, conducted by the “KTZ NC” JSC, RZD OJSC, UZ JSC, as well as by the OSJD affiliated enterprises – the Association of Transport High Schools and PASKE JSC;
    • register them in the relevant record-book of the OSJD documents.
  • When considering the new candidate for the post of the OSJD Committee Chairman, the Ministerial Conference has agreed with the proposal of the Minister of Infrastructure of the Republic of Poland to replace the Polish representative at the OSJD Committee and to appoint Mr. Miroslaw Antonowicz to this post for the period from 1 November 2020 till 30 June 2022. The Ministers have expressed their gratitude to Mr. Tadeusz Szozda for his great contribution into the development of international cooperation in the field of railway transport and enhancing the role and importance of OSJD during his tenure as Chairman of the OSJD Committee.

The Ministerial Conference has decided to adopt tentatively the following items to be included into the provisional agenda of session XLIX of the OSJD Ministerial Conference:

  1. Report on OSJD Activities for 2020.
  2. Report of the OSJD Auditing Commission for 2020.
  3. Working results of the of the OSJD Commission on Transport Policy and Development Strategy for 2020.
  4. Working results of the OSJD Commission on Transport Law for 2020.
  5. Progress of the International Conference on the adoption of the text of the draft Convention on Direct International Railway Traffic.
  6. Information of the OSJD Committee Chair-man on the progress of work carried out by the UNECE “Towards a unified railway law in the Pan-European region and in the Euro-Asian transport corridors”.
  7. On the progress of work of the AWG on vocational education/training in the field of railway transport.
  8. On the OSJD work programme for 2022 and subsequent years.
  9. Information relating to membership fees.
  10. Budget of the OSJD Committee (final – for 2021, preliminary - for 2022).
  11. About the draft provisional agenda, venue and date of session L of the OSJD Ministerial Conference.

The OSJD Ministerial Conference has addressed the OSJD member countries with a request to consider the possibility of organising and holding session XLIX in June 2021, and if no proposals to take over the organisation of session XLIX are received, to entrust the OSJD Committee to organise this session in the period from 15 till 18 June 2021

Back to list