Momentum builds for e-CMR in the Balkans

With uptake of the electronic consignment note (e-CMR) gaining ground, IRU is in Bosnia and Herzegovina today to present current developments: Slovenia’s accession to the CMR protocol, as well as Greece’s recent pilot operation, bringing the Balkan region into focus.

The annual meetings of the Bosnia and Herzegovina international road and rail carriers are focused on current trends in transport relative to international logistics and transit instruments. Positioning Bosnia and Herzegovina on the global market, the event gathers 200 participants, representing the country’s largest transport operators, and looks at changes in national transport legislation and the digitalisation of the industry.

IRU Head of Global Innovation, Zeljko Jeftic says “The future of mobility is digital and the interest in e-CMR in the Balkan region is an encouraging development. The momentum will result in further countries acceding to the protocol. The more countries using e-CMR, the more appealing the system becomes and the greater the common benefit.”

Rules for transporting goods internationally are covered by the United Nations Convention for the carriage of goods, the CMR (Convention relative au contrat de transport international de Marchandises par Route). In February 2008, a protocol was added to the CMR Convention concerning the use of the electronic consignment note. This protocol entered into force on 5 June 2011, and to date twelve countries have acceded including: Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, France, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain and Switzerland.