Interoperability contract
Introduction
The Intergovernmental Organization for International Transport by Rail, OTIF (from its French acronym, Organisation Intergouvernetale pour les Transports Internationaux Ferroviaires) is an international organization dedicated to international rail transport. It is made up of more than 50 countries and has its headquarters in Bern (Switzerland). OTIF has three official languages: German, French and English.
OTIF develops various tools to facilitate the movement of international trains and works closely with the International Committee for Railway Transport (ITC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), the European Union Railway Agency, the European Commission (Directorate General for Mobility and Transport) and the Organization for Railway Cooperation (OSJD).
Background
The origin of the regulation of international rail transport has its origins in the Berne Convention&action=edit&redlink=1 "Bern Convention (1980) (not yet drafted)") on the carriage of persons by rail, in 1890. The OTIF was born on May 1, 1985 with the entry into force of the "Convention relating to international transport by rail" (COTIF), signed in Bern on May 9, 1980. The "Central Office of International Railway Transport", OCTI, which dates back to 1890, is considered the direct predecessor.[1].
COTIF was amended by a Protocol signed in Vilnius on 3 June 1999. Before the “Vilnius Protocol”, the main objective of OTIF was to establish a common legal framework that could be applied to the international transport of passengers and goods by rail. These systems have existed for decades and are known as the COTIF-CIM Convention and its Uniform Rules relating to the contract for the international carriage of goods by rail.[Note 1][Note 2].
Member States
In principle, OTIF members are states, but COTIF 1999 also allows membership of regional economic integration organizations, such as the European Union, which joined COTIF with effect from 1 July 2011.
Currently (May 2019), OTIF has 51 Member States:[2].