Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar1

THE TIR CONVENTIONTHE ONLY GLOBAL CUSTOMS TRANSIT SYSTEM

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)

Transport DivisionBorder Crossing Facilitation Section

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar2

General principles of transit

• Movement of goods under Customs control

• Without payment of duties and taxes in exchange for the deposit of a guarantee

• Additional requirements such as use of Customs seals, time limits and security measures, based on risk assessment

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar3

• National transit

• Bilateral or multilateral transit– Closed system between two or more

countries– Usually based on Customs union– Recognition of freedom of transit,

Article V GATT

• Global transit

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar4

• History: – First Convention 1959, revision 1975– From 6 countries to 68 countries (Operational: 56)– During the last 15 years: 24 new Contracting Parties

• Objective: – Facilitation– revenue protection + Customs checks

• Only global transit procedure• Intermodal (trucks and containers)• Public/Private Partnership

TIR ConventionBackground & characteristics

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar55

Geographical scope

Contracting Party where Convention is applied (2008)Contracting Party where Convention is not applied (2008)Potential Contracting Party

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar6

YEAR TIR CARNETS ISSUED

1959 67,000

1969 790,035

1980 718,612

1990 748,600

2000 2,782,600

2008 3,253,800

THE TIR CUSTOMS TRANSIT PROCEDURE Number of TIR Carnets issued

01,000,0002,000,0003,000,0004,000,000

1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar77

ADVANTAGES

Customs Authorities

• No physical inspection of goods in transit (in principle)

• No national guarantee system

• No national Customs documentation and control system

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar88

ADVANTAGES

Transport/Trade Industry

• Minimum of procedures at border crossings

• No restriction in the modes of transport used

• Significant reduction of transport costs (reduced export and import costs)

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar9

TIR Convention, 1975

5 pillars of the TIR system

Secure vehiclesor containers

Internationalguarantee

Document(TIR Carnet)

Mutual recognitionof Customs

control

Controlledaccess

THE TIR CUSTOMS TRANSIT PROCEDURE The five pillars of the TIR System

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar10

ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE

National association

Government

UNECE Working Party

WP.30

TIR Administrative Committee

TIR Executive Board

National association

Government Government

National association

TIR SecretaryTIR secretariat

International organization

IRU

Private Sector TIR Convention United Nations

Country A Country B Country C

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar11

TIR Administrative Committee Mandate

• Highest organ of the TIR Convention• All Contracting States are represented and have one vote

each• Only Contracting States are allowed to decide and vote• Meets (at present) twice a year in Geneva (Switzerland)• English, French and Russian are working languages (at

present)• Composition, functions and rules of Administrative

Committee are provided in Annex 8 of TIR Convention

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar12

TIR Administrative Committee

• Considers and adopts amendments to the Convention (legal provisions and Explanatory Notes thereto)

• Decides on comments (interpretation) of the Convention

• Monitors the application of the Convention in Contracting States

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar13

TIR Administrative Committee (cont’d)

• Supervises the activities of the TIR Executive Board

(TIRExB)

• Elects members of the TIRExB and decides on its annual

budget

• Authorizes an international organization to take on the

responsibility for the organization and functioning of an

international guarantee system and to print and distribute

TIR Carnets (Article 6.2bis)

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar14

TIR Executive Board

Mandate• Subsidiary body of TIR Administrative Committee• Fulfils the tasks entrusted to it by the Convention (Annex

8) and by the Administrative Committee based on its Terms of Reference

• Composed of 9 members (experts) elected by Administrative Committee

• Members have 2 years terms of office• Meets as often as required (also by correspondence)• Decides on and regularly reviews its priorities of work

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar15

TIR Executive Board (TIRExB)

• Supervises the application of the Convention world-wide

• Supervises the operation of the international TIR

guarantee system

• Supervises the printing and distribution of TIR Carnets

• Coordinates exchange of intelligence among

Contracting States

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar16

TIR Executive Board (TIRExB) (cont’d)

• Fosters exchange of information between Governments

and IRU

• Facilitates settlement of disputes

• Supports training of Customs personnel

• Maintains central information/data records (on guarantee

and national contracts, authorized operators, etc.)

• Monitors the price of TIR Carnets

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar17

TIR Executive Board (TIRExB)

Secretariat

• TIR Secretary (executes decisions of TIRExB)

• Assisted by a TIR secretariat

Financing

• Work of TIRExB members is financed by their respective

governments

• Most operational costs are financed by an amount per TIR

Carnet (2009: US$ 0,50 per TIR Carnet)

• Other costs are financed by UN Regular Budget

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar18

UNECE WP. 30

(Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport)

Mandate

• Governmental organ of UNECE and other interested United Nations Member States and interested international organizations

• Consultative body for large number of multilateral treaties of the United Nations

• Decisions are usually taken by consensus

• Meets usually three times a year in Geneva

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar19

UNECE Working Party (WP.30)

(Working Party on Customs Questions affecting Transport)

Activities

• Prepares amendments, interpretations, best

practices for UN treaties relating to border

crossing facilitation, particularly Customs issues

• Prepares the decisions of the TIR Administrative

Committee

Tunis3-4 June 2009

Regional TIR seminar20

UNECE TIR SECRETARIAT

Transport Division

8-14, Avenue de PaixCH-1211 Geneva 10

Switzerland

Phone: +41 22 917 15 31

Fax: +41 22 917 06 14

Email address: tirexb@unece.org http://tir.unece.org