(1)

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

(2)

Pursuant to Article 13(1), point (f), of the COTIF, the Committee of Technical Experts (CTE) of the OTIF was set up.

(3)

Pursuant to Article 20(1), point (b), of the COTIF, and in accordance with Article 6 of the Uniform Rules concerning the Validation of Technical Standards and the Adoption of Uniform Technical Prescriptions applicable to Railway Material intended to be used in International Traffic (APTU – Appendix F to the Convention), the CTE is competent to adopt or to amend, inter alia, the uniform technical prescriptions (UTPs) concerning the qualifications and independence of assessing entities (UTP GEN-E), concerning a common safety method on risk evaluation and assessment (UTP GEN-G), and concerning telematics applications for freight (UTP TAF).

(4)

Pursuant to Article 16(10) of COTIF, the CTE is competent to establish its rules of procedure.

(5)

The CTE has included in the agenda of its 15th session, which will take place on 13 and 14 June 2023, a proposal for decisions to fully revise UTP GEN-E, to revise UTP GEN-G, to modify its rules of procedure and to update the references to the Technical Documents of the technical specifications for interoperability relating to the telematics applications for freight (TAF TSI) listed in Appendix I to the UTP TAF.

(6)

The objectives of the envisaged CTE decisions are to align UTP GEN-E with Directive (EU) 2016/797 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), to revise the UTP GEN-G, to modify the rules of procedure of the CTE and to align the UTP TAF with EU rules, namely Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/541 (3).

(7)

It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf in the CTE, as the proposed decisions will be binding on the Union.

(8)

The envisaged OTIF decisions are in line with the law and the strategic objectives of the Union, as they contribute to the alignment of OTIF legislation with the equivalent provisions of Union law, and should therefore be supported by the Union,

(1)

to vote in favour of the CTE proposed revision of UTP GEN-E (CTE Working Document TECH-23005);

(2)

to vote in favour of the CTE proposed revision to UTP GEN-G (CTE Working Document TECH-23006);

(3)

to vote in favour of the CTE proposed revision of the rules of procedure of the CTE (CTE Working Document TECH-23002);

(4)

to vote in favour of the CTE proposal to update the references to the Technical Documents of TAF TSI listed in Appendix I to the UTP TAF (CTE Working Document TECH-23007).