L_202601071EN.000101.fmx.xml

COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2026/1071

of 5 May 2026

on the position to be taken on behalf of the European Union at the 59th session of the Committee of Experts for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail as regards certain amendments to Appendix C to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 91, in conjunction with Article 218(9), thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1)	The Union acceded to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) of 9 May 1980, as amended by the Vilnius Protocol of 3 June 1999, by means of Council Decision 2013/103/EU (1).

(2)

Pursuant to Article 6 of COTIF, international rail traffic and admission of railway material to use in international traffic are to be governed by the rules listed in that Article, in particular the Regulation concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID), which forms Appendix C to COTIF.

(3)	Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) lays down requirements for the transport of dangerous goods by road, by rail or by inland waterway within or between Member States, with reference to RID.

(4)

In accordance with Article 18 of COTIF, the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail Committee of Experts for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods referred to in Article 13(1), point (d), of COTIF (the ‘RID Expert Committee’) is able to adopt amendments to, inter alia, the Annex to RID.

(5)	The RID Expert Committee, during its 59th session on 28 May 2026, is expected to adopt amendments to adapt the Annex to RID to scientific and technical progress.

(6)	It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf within the RID Expert Committee, as the amendments to RID will be binding on the Union.

(7)	The envisaged amendments aim to ensure the safe and efficient transport of dangerous goods by rail, while taking into account scientific and technical progress in that sector, and the development of new substances and articles that could pose a danger during their transport.

(8)	The envisaged amendments are considered to be appropriate for the safe transport of dangerous goods in a cost-effective manner and should therefore be supported.

(9)

Minor changes to the documents referred to in the Annex to this Decision might be agreed at technical level at the 20th session of the RID Expert Committee’s standing working group of 27 May 2026, including on the basis of recommendations of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Joint Meeting of the RID Expert Committee and the Working Party on the Transport of Dangerous Goods,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

1. The position to be taken on the Union’s behalf at the 59th session of the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail Committee of Experts for the Carriage of Dangerous Goods (the ‘RID Expert Committee’) in the framework of the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail of 9 May 1980, as amended by the Vilnius Protocol of 3 June 1999, shall be as set out in the Annex to this Decision.

2. Minor changes to the documents referred to in the Annex to this Decision may be agreed upon by the representatives of the Union within the RID Expert Committee without a further decision of the Council.

Article 2

The decisions of the RID Expert Committee shall be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, indicating the date of their entry into force.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 5 May 2026.

For the Council

The President

M. KERAVNOS

(1) Council Decision 2013/103/EU of 16 June 2011 on the signing and conclusion of the Agreement between the European Union and the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail on the Accession of the European Union to the Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail (COTIF) of 9 May 1980, as amended by the Vilnius Protocol of 3 June 1999 (OJ L 51, 23.2.2013, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2013/103(1)/oj).

(2) Directive 2008/68/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 September 2008 on the inland transport of dangerous goods (OJ L 260, 30.9.2008, p. 13, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2008/68/oj).

ANNEX

Proposal	Reference document	Issue	Comments	EU position
1.	RID-25014-CE-SWG19	Extra-large tank-containers – load assumptions according to RID 6.8.2.1.2 The document proposes insertion of an additional Note to 6.8.2.1.2, explaining that the load assumptions in rail transport relate to transport operations with shunting restrictions that are defined for carrying wagons of class F2 in standard EN 12663.	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
2.	RID-25015-CE-SWG19	WE mark The proposal introduces a requirement for the waggons’ marking, namely the alphanumeric code of the waggon equipment to be marked on both sides of the wagon.	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
3.	RID-25018-CE-SWG19	Necessary adaptation of the amendments adopted at the 16th session of the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group (London, 20 - 23 November 2023) in connection with the transfer of technical wagon provisions from RID to the Uniform Technical Prescriptions (UTPs)/ Technical Specifications for Interoperability (TSIs)	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
4.	RID-25021-CE-SWG19	Use of the term ‘vehicle’ in RID The document proposes the replacement of the word ‘vehicle’ in RID, with ‘road vehicle’ or ‘rail vehicle’, as appropriate.	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
5.	RID-25027-CE-SWG19	Spark arresters The aim of this proposal is to ensure that the safety provisions of RID concerning the use of spark arresters are consistent with the Technical Specifications for interoperability - TSI Wagon.	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
6.	RID-25039-CE-SWG19	Consolidated texts adopted by the RID/ADR/ADN Joint Meeting in 2024 and 2025 and by the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group in 2023 and 2024	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
7.	RID-25041-CE-SWG19	Amendments to the Harmonised Goods Nomenclature - NHM Codes in RID 3.2.2	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree
8.	RID-25046-CE-SWG19	Alternative Proposal to RID-25018-CE-SWG19	Technical consensus at the OTIF Standing Working Group to adopt the text as amended	Agree

All the documents above are available on the OTIF’s website (https://otif.org/en/?page_id=264 and https://otif.org/en/?page_id=274) and shall be understood as comprising the amendments discussed in the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group of November 2025 and reflected in Annex I to document RID-26004-CE-SWG19 (Final report of the 19th session of the RID Committee of Experts’ standing working group - Luxembourg, 18 to 21 November 2025), also available on the OTIF’s website (https://otif.org/en/?page_id=17770)