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The difficulties and challenges of the international rail transport of waste: the work of the ad hoc “Waste Expert Group” (WEG)

Since its participation in the UIC RID Expert Group in November 2022, CIT has received requests from several CIT members to actively deal with the international rail transport of waste and the many problems encountered by the carriers involved. The highlight of many of the bilateral exchanges that have taken place since then was a presentation of the regulatory framework and possible temporary solutions targeted by CIT for this kind of transport with some particularities. Coordination and cooperation between UIC and CIT provide an opportunity to create a new ad hoc Expert Group: the Waste Expert Group (WEG) linked to the UIC TDG EG.

CIT is involved in the development of a “Waste Expert Group” (WEG) on this subject with UIC. The WEG held its first meeting (online) on 2 May. There was active participation and a positive exchange between experts with a presentation on the current regulations and a debate on the type of problems encountered by carriers and operational services. The topics addressed concern in particular:

• governance (authorities, EU law, national regulations, approvals, etc.);

• management of transport documents within the transport chain (documents, appendices, liabilities, labelling/marking and classification of waste);

• relations between carriers of different kind of convoy (multimodal transport of waste, technical difficulties, terminals or harbour and logistics problems).

The WEG’s second meeting (online) took place on 4 July and finalised the job of identifying the current issues affecting the transport of waste at international level. Based on this first overview of the problems discussed, the WEG has prepared a document summarising the strategy on possible solutions for each point. The GS CIT will continue to support these discussions.

To this end, a “CIT Multimodality workshop” will be held in Bern on 12 (afternoon) and 13 (morning) October focusing on the topic of international waste transport. The workshop will be a good occasion to discuss these topics between operational managers and legal advisers to find relevant solutions for the sector and to push the issue forward with a view to a forthcoming revision of the regulations in line with the needs of the sector and which responds to the concrete problems of rail carriers.

The CIT Workshop on Waste Management and Challenges for the Rail Sector will comprise four panels: the first panel will focus on governance and current regulation; the second panel will consist of an operational round-table on problems encountered by RUs in international waste transport; the third panel will be a CIT presentation on legal solutions and proposals to help carriers and find alternatives for the sector; and finally, the fourth panel will take up the points raised and define the strategy to be adopted and the next steps including the need to revise the current regulations.

Workshop Waste Management and Challenges for the rail sector -> Invitation

preview picture: company.sbb.ch

guillaume.murawa(at)cit-rail.org