The ECMT Agreement, short for European Conference of Ministers of Transport, is a treaty signed by 43 European countries aimed at regulating international road transport. It was first signed in 1953 to facilitate the movement of goods and people across borders.
The agreement is designed to harmonize road transport regulations, simplify border procedures, and ensure fair competition among transport operators. The treaty provides for the mutual recognition of driving licenses, vehicles’ technical standards, and roadworthiness tests. It also establishes maximum weights, dimensions, and other technical specifications for vehicles engaged in international transport.
One of the main advantages of the ECMT Agreement is the access it grants to non-EU countries to transport goods across the European continent. Countries like Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine can use the permit to transport their goods to Western Europe, bypassing the need for bilateral agreements with each country.
To benefit from the arrangement, transport operators must obtain an ECMT permit, which is issued by the competent national authority in their country of registration. The permits are limited in number, and their allocation is based on a quota system, where each country is allocated a specific number of permits based on its transport needs.
The ECMT Agreement is periodically revised to reflect the changing needs of the transport sector. The latest revision, adopted in 2020, introduces new provisions on the use of smart tachographs, digital consignment notes, and the electronic exchange of information between authorities.
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