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STATUS AS AT : 22-05-2013 10:41:25 EDT
CHAPTER XI
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
B . Road Traffic
24 . European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Signs and Signals
Geneva, 1 May 1971
Entry into force
:
3 August 1979, in accordance with article 4(1).
Registration :
3 August 1979, No. 17935
Status :
Signatories : 12. Parties : 32
Text :
United Nations,  Treaty Series , vol. 1142, p. 225; and depositary notification C.N.62.1994.TREATIES-1 of 27 May 1995 and doc. E/ECE/TRANS/92/Rev.2 (amendments proposed by Belgium) and C.N. 247.1995.TREATIES-1 of 6 October 1995 (acceptance of the amendments); C.N.1026.2004.TREATIES-1 of 28 September 2004 (proposal of amendments) and C.N.1001.2005.TREATIES-3 of 29 September 2005 (acceptance of amendments).1
Note :
The text of the Agreement was approved by the Inland Transport Committee of the Economic Commission for Europe on 1 May 1971, at its thirtieth session held at Geneva.  In accordance with a decision of the Committee at its thirty-first session, held at Geneva from 1 to 4 February 1971, the period during which the Agreement was open for signature (originally from 1 May 1971 to 30 April 1972) was extended to 31 December 1972 (doc. E/ECE/TRANS/568, paragraph 132).
Participant
 Signature
 Accession(a), Succession(d), Ratification
Albania
    6 Jun 2005 a
Austria
 15 Dec 1972
11 Aug 1981
Azerbaijan
   11 Jul 2011 a
Belarus
   17 Dec 1974 a
Belgium
 28 Oct 1971
16 Nov 1988
Bosnia and Herzegovina 2
  12 Jan 1994 d
Bulgaria
   28 Dec 1978 a
Czech Republic 3
   2 Jun 1993 d
Denmark
  2 May 1972
 3 Nov 1986
Estonia
   30 Nov 1993 a
Finland
 22 Dec 1972
 1 Apr 1985
France
 29 Dec 1972
16 Jan 1974
Georgia
   15 May 2001 a
Germany 4, 5
28 May 1971
 3 Aug 1978
Greece
   18 Dec 1986 a
Hungary
 29 Dec 1972
16 Mar 1976
Italy
    7 Feb 1997 a
Kazakhstan
    7 Jun 2011 a
Latvia
   20 Nov 2001 a
Lithuania
   31 Jan 1992 a
Luxembourg
 25 May 1971
25 Nov 1975
Montenegro 6
  23 Oct 2006 d
Netherlands 7
   8 Nov 2007 a
Poland
   23 Aug 1984 a
Romania
  6 Oct 1972
 9 Dec 1980
Russian Federation
   27 Sep 1974 a
Serbia 2
  12 Mar 2001 d
Slovakia 3
  28 May 1993 d
Sweden
  1 Feb 1972
25 Jul 1985
Switzerland
 31 Oct 1972
11 Dec 1991
The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia 2
  20 Dec 1999 d
Ukraine
   30 Dec 1974 a
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
 27 Oct 1971
 
Declarations and Reservations
(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made upon ratification, accession or succession.)
Azerbaijan

Declaration:

       “The Republic of Azerbaijan declares that it is unable to guarantee implementation of the provisions of the Agreement in its territories occupied by the Republic of Armenia, until the liberation of those territories from the occupation and complete elimination of consequences of that occupation...”

Reservation:

       "In relation to Article 11, the Republic of Azerbaijan declares that it does not consider itself bound by Article 9 of this Agreement."
Belarus

Declaration and reservation:

       [ For the text see the declaration and reservation made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). ]
Czech Republic 3

Denmark
       [ Same reservations as those under chapter XI.B.20. ]
Estonia

Reservation:

       "Estonia does not consider itself bound by article 9 of the Agreement."
Finland

Declaration:

“1 With respect to Annex, paragraph 17 (amendment to Section B of Annex I, paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Convention:

       "Signs indicating dangerous descent and steep ascent), Finland reserves the right to use sign A, 2 c of the Convention to indicate a dangerous descent, instead of sign A, 2 a .  Similarly sign A, 3 c of the Convention is used to indicate a steep ascent instead of sign A, 3 a ;

       
"2) With respect to Article 11, paragraph 3, Finland notifies that the reservations Finland has made to Article 18, preamble and paragraphs 4 and 5 of Section F of Annex 5 and paragraph 6 of Section F of Annex 5 of the Convention on Road Signs and Signals shall also apply to the European Agreement Supplementing the Convention."
Reservation:
"With respect to Annex, paragraph 22 (amendment to the Note and Section A of Annex 4 of the Convention):
Prohibition signs, Finland reserves the right to use an oblique red bar in signs corresponding to signs C, 3 a -C, 3 k of the Convention."

5 September 1995


Modification of the text of the reservation made by Finland, as adapted in view of the entry into force of the amendments proposed by Belgium on 31 May 1994 to the 1968 Convention on Road Signs and signals:
"The reservation made by Finland [made upon ratification] also applies to signs C, 3 g to C, 3 h and C, 3 m to C, 3 n to the Annex."
France
       With regard to article 23, paragraph 3 bis (b), of the Agreement on Road Signs and Signals, France intends to retain the possibility of using lights placed on the side opposite to the direction of traffic, so as to be in a position to convey meanings different from those conveyed by the lights placed on the side appropriate to the direction of traffic.
Germany 5

Reservations:

Ad paragraph 3 of the annex

(Article 1, sub-paragraph (l) of the Convention):

       The Federal Republic of Germany does not consider itself bound by paragraph 3 of the annex (article 1, sub-paragraph (l) of the Convention).

Ad paragraph 15 of the annex

Article 33, paragraph 1, sub-paragraph (a), No. (i) of the Convention):

       The Federal Republic of Germany does not consider itself bound by paragraph 15 of the annex (article 33, paragraph 1, sub-paragraph (a) No. (i) of the Convention).
Hungary
       [ Same reservation and declarations, mutatis mutandis, as those made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). ]
Netherlands

Reservations:

       "With reference to part 22 of the Annex and the Appendix to this Annex to the European Agreement, a reservation is made with respect to the no entry sign for vehicles carrying more than a certain quantity of explosives or readily inflammable substances or of substances liable to cause water pollution.
       With reference to part 19 amending the Annex to the European Agreement, a reservation is made with respect to the no entry sign for vehicles carrying more than a certain quantity of explosives or readily inflammable substances and the no entry sign for vehicles carrying more than a certain quantity of substances liable to cause water pollution."
Poland 8

Declaration:

       The Polish People's Republic will use symbol A, 2c (dangerous descent) instead of symbol A, 2 a , and symbol A, 3 c (steep ascent) instead of symbol A,3a provided for in item 17 of the annex to the aforesaid Agreement in accordance with the provisions of Annex 1, Section B, paragraphs 2 and 3, of the Convention on Road Signs and Signals.
Romania

Reservation and declarations:

       [ For the text see the reservation and declarations made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). ]
Russian Federation

Declaration and reservation:

       [ For the text see the declaration and reservation made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). ]
Slovakia 3

Sweden
       "With respect to paragraph 22 of the annex, signs C, 3 a to C, 3 k shall incorporate an oblique bar."
       "The reservations of Sweden to the Convention on Road Signs and Signals also apply to this Agreement."

With regard to article 9:

       "Sweden opposes that disputes in which it is involved shall be referred to arbitration."
Switzerland 1

Reservations:

Annex, number 9 (article 10, paragraph 6, of the Convention):

       Switzerland reserves the right to provide in its national legislation, as an advance warning sign for sign B 2a , for an identical sign with an additional panel (model H, 1) as indicated in annex 1, section H.

Annex, numbers 9bis and 22 (article 13 bis and annex 1, section E, subsection II, paragraph 7, of the Convention)
       Switzerland does not consider itself bound by the provisions of numbers 9 bis and 22 of the annex.

Annex, paragraph 12 (article 24, paragraph 2, of the Convention)
       Switzerland reserves the right to provide in its national legislation for the use of the three-colour system for light signals for pedestrians, in accordance with article 24, paragraph 2, of the Convention.
Ukraine

Declaration and reservation:

       [ For the text see the declaration and reservation made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). ]
Notifications
(Unless otherwise indicated, the declarations and reservations were made upon ratification, accession or succession.)
Azerbaijan

Notification under Article 6 (8):
       “In accordance with Article 6 (8), the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan (address: AZ1005, Baku city, Azerbaijan avenue 7) is the administration competent in the matter of agreement as contemplated in Article 6 (7) of the above-mentioned Agreement.”
End Note
1.The Secretary-General received the following communications from the Contracting Parties as indicated hereinafter:

Germany (26 May 1995) :

The Federal Republic of Germany agrees to the proposals subject to the following reservation:

Reservation on Annex I, section C, subsection II, No. 1 to the Convention

The Federal Republic reserves the right to define the meaning of sign C., 3n "No entry for vehicles carrying more than a certain quantity of substances liable to cause water pollution" as follows:

"No entry for vehicles with a water endangering cargo."

Switzerland (23 May 1995):

[The Government of Switzerland] has no objection to the amendments proposed by Belgium. The reservations entered previously [with regard to the Agreement] are hereby abrogated and replaced by the following: ( see under "Reservations and Declarations") .

Those reservations made with regard to the Agreement made upon ratification and which were abrogated read as follows:

Ad number 9 of the annex (article 10, paragraph 6, of the Convention)

Switzerland reserves the right to make provision in its domestic legislation, to give advance warning of sign B,2 a , for an identical sign supplemented by a panel conforming to model 1, reproduced in annex 7 to the Convention.

Ad numbers 10 and 27 of the annex (article 18, paragraph 2, and annex 5, section C, of the Convention) Switzerland does not consider itself bound by the provisions of numbers 10 and 27 of the annex. Ad number 12 of the annex (article 24, paragraph 2, of the Convention) Switzerland reserves the right to make provision in its domestic legislation for the three-colour system for light signals for pedestrians, pursuant to article 24, paragraph 2, of the Convention. Ad number 22 of the annex (annex 4, section A, number 2, letter (a) (iii), of the Convention) Switzerland reserves the right to enact, in its domestic legislation, regulations specifying that access to roadsrked by aditional sign No. 1, reproduced in the appendix to the annex, is prohibited for vehicles transporting dangerous goods of any type. Less than one third of the Contracting Parties having informed the Secretary-General that they reject the said proposed amendments within the period of twelve months following the date of their circulation (i.e. 27 May 1994), and in accordance with article 6(2)(a) of the Agreement, the proposed amendments are deemed to have been accepted. The amendments entered into force on 27 November 1995.The amendments relating to annex I, section C, subsection II of the Convention will enter into force for Germany only as modified by the reservation.

Other amendments were proposed by various States and adopted as follows:

3

Object of the amendment: Proposed by:Date of circulation and Entry into force:
Agreement*Russian Federation28 September 2004. EIF: 28 Mar 2006


*  In this regard, communications were received by the following States ont the dates indicated hereinafter:

Switzerland (26 September 2005):

“... Switzerland has no objection to the proposed amendment transmitted on 28 September 2004.

Finland (28 September 2005):

“Finland has no objection to the proposed amendment transmitted on 28 September 2004.

The Government of Finland furthermore informed the Secretary-General of the following:

“ ... the Government of Finland wishes to recall that the acceptance of the amendments shall not affect the reservations made by the Government of Finland to the said Agreement.”
2.The former Yugoslavia had acceeded to the Agreement on 6 June 1977. See also note 1 under “Bosnia and Herzegovina”, “Croatia”, “former Yugoslavia”, “Slovenia”, “The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia” and “Yugoslavia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
3.Czechoslovakia had acceded to the Agreement on 7 June 1978, with the same reservation and declaration, mutatis mutandis , as those made in respect of the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic concluded at Geneva on 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). For the text of the reservation and the declaration, see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 1137, p. 416. See also note 1 under “Czech Republic” and note 1 under “Slovakia” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
4.See  note 1 under “Germany” regarding Berlin (West) in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
5.The German Democratic Republic had acceded to the Agreement on 18 August 1975 with the same reservation and declarations as those made for the European Agreement supplementing the Convention on Road Traffic of 1 May 1971 (chapter XI.B-23). For the text of the reservation and declarations, see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 1137, p. 417. See also note 2 under “Germany” in the “Historical Information” section in the front matter of this volume.
6.See note 1 under "Montenegro" in the "Historical Information" section in the front matter of this volume.
7.For the Kingdom in Europe.
8.On 16 October 1997, the Government of Poland notified the Secretary-General that it had decided to withdraw its reservation with regard to article 9 of the Agreement made upon accession. For the text of the reservation see United Nations, Treaty Series , vol. 1365, p. 351.