Overcoming Border Crossing Obstacles

Joint ITF/UNECE/World Bank Seminar 5-6 March 2009, Paris

The Seminar reviewed and analysed problems for transport in crossing borders for all modes of transport, as well as for maritime ports and airports across the globe. It examined good practices and recent developments which can be replicated elsewhere and identified areas where further actions need to be taken to facilitate easier crossing of borders.

Final Programme Seminar Summary and Conclusions Photos

Session 1. Obstacles at Border Crossings - What Are They and How Much Do They Cost?

Findings of the ITF 2009 Survey on Border Crossing Obstacles in the Member Countries  --  Slides Peter RANGER, Consultant Crossing Borders Lessons from Experience Jean-François ARVIS, World Bank, International Trade Department Findings of the OECD study on The Costs and Benefits of Trade Facilitation Evdokia MÖISE, OECD Global Enabling Trade Report 2008: Benchmarking the ease of getting goods across borders Margareta DRZENIEK, World Economic Forum Costs of Waiting at Borders - The Road Transport Industry's Point of View Peter KRAUSZ, IRU Are border obstacles and lack of interoperability hindering development of competitive rail services? Victor ZHUKOV, RZD / OSJD Also available in Russian Commission Survey on Agreements on Cross-Border Rail Traffic in Europe Frank JOST, European Commission Cross-Border Management Challenges and Solutions: The Airport perspective Vlad OLTEANU, ACI Europe Border crossing impediments - how they affect a country? Maris PEKALIS, Latvia Border Crossing Issues: Finland - Russia Jouko ALALUUSUA, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Finland Border Crossing Issues: Mexico Presentation prepared by the Ministry of Communications and Transport, Mexico Forging Efficient and Economic Transport Logistics: Case Study India-Bangladesh K.L. THAPAR, Asian Institute of Transport Development, India Extension of the TEN-T to the Neighbouring Countries and Regions. Horizontal Measures Svetlana GLIGOROVSKA, European Commission DG TREN Corridor VIII: Border Crossing Issues and Transnational Cooperation in the Transport Sector  --  Slides Michele GRIMALDI, Corridor VIII Secretariat Activity Report on Cross Border Issues and Results of the Cross Border Surveys Technical Secretariat of the Steering Committee for Pan-European Corridor X An Outline of the Current Activities of the ILO on Road Transport Border Crossing Marios MELETIOU, International Labour Organization

Session 2. Good Practice Solutions - Positive Achievements

A Future Perspective of Border Management Tom DOYLE, World Bank Transit systems, including TIR, and strategic directions of their development Artur BOUTEN, UNECE Customs responses for facilitating the cross-border movement of goods and conveyances Thierry PIRAUX, WCO Challenges in facilitating trade and transport Neil MANN, Australian Customs Service Time Release Study 2007 Neil MANN, Australian Customs and Border Protection Service Eurasia Business Platform Initiative Eric STEWART, US Chamber of Commerce Security, Risk Perception and Cost-Benefit Analysis. Round Table Conclusions Stephen PERKINS, ITF/OECD Joint Transport Research Centre TIR electronic pre-declaration (TIR-EPD): How it works in reality Jean ACRI Potential of integrated rail border crossings and administrative and operational interoperability Paul GUITINK, CER Reducing Bottlenecks at Borders: an Infrastructure Managers Viewpoint Michael ROBSON, EIM Best Practices - Canada-U.S. Land Border Management Robert MCDOUGALL, Permanent Delegation of Canada to the OECD How does the WCO help its Customs Administrations to overcome corruption?  --  Slides Patricia REVESZ, WCO Fighting corruption through better border management Tom DOYLE, World Bank

Session 3. Policy Challenges - How To Move Forward?

Lessons from the implementation of the Harmonisation Convention to enhance border crossing performance management Konstantin GLUCKHENKIY, UNECE The WCO SAFE Framework of Standards Thierry PIRAUX, World Customs Organization (WCO) Evidence-based Impacts of Simplified Control Procedures on Revenues Mark JUHEL, World Bank Promoting Best Practice Solutions across OSCE Region Roel JANSSENS, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Border Crossing Obstacles: A Maritime Perspective ICS Written Contribution

Reference Documents

Policy Responses to Congestion: Better System Management. The implication of border crossing obstacles for congestion and impacts on trade Ministerial Meeting, Sofia, 2007, CEMT/ITF(2007)8/FINAL Removal of Obstacles at Border Crossings. Policy Note and Recommendations ECMT Council of Ministers, Ljubljana, 2004, CEMT/CM(2004)7 Removal of Obstacles at Border Crossings. Report ECMT Council of Ministers, Ljubljana, 2004, CEMT/CM(2004)23 Reduce Border Waiting Times! Abstract from latest IRU Working Papers on Road Border Crossing Improvements, February 2009 Integrated International Transport and Logistics System for the North-East Asia Sungwon LEE, Korea Transport Institute Improving Efficiency in the Logistics Sector for Sustainable Transport Development in the Republic of Korea Sungwon LEE, Korea Transport Institute WTO Negotiations on Trade Facilitation: Compilation of Members' Textual Proposals WTO, Geneva, February 2009 Also available in French UIC Input: Preparatory Work for the next International Transport Forum (Leipzig, 26-29 May 2009) ILO Report on the replies to the Questionnaire on the issuance of visas to international road transport drivers IQ-C Action plan 2006-2008-2012 for rail freight corridor Rotterdam-Genoa Contribution from the Netherlands Rail Freight Corridor NL - CZ NEA, Netherlands and SUDOP PRAHA, Czech Republic (Contribution from the Netherlands) Terminal Study on the Freight Corridor. Final Report NEA, Netherlands IQ-C International Group for Improving the Quality of Rail Transport in the North-South Corridor. 3rd Progress Report, July 2008 Contribution from the Netherlands Economic Impacts of Border Wait Times at the San Diego-Baja California Border Region San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) Estimating Economic Impacts of Border Wait Times in the San Diego-Baja California Region (US Contribution) Economic Impacts of Wait Times at the San Diego-Baja California Border. Final Report (US Contribution) End to end journey analysis (UK Contribution - Department for Transport) Overcoming Border Bottlenecks. The Costs and Benefits of Trade Facilitation OECD Trade Policy Studies, OECD, February 2009, €35 Corridor VIII: Pre-feasibility Study on the Development of the Railways Axis. Final Report Pan-European Corridor VIII Secretariat, September 2007 Study on Administrative and Regulatory Barriers in the field of Inland Waterway Transport - Part A. Final Report NEA, September 2008 (Contribution from EBU) World Economic Forum's The Global Enabling Trade Report 2008 Balancing Security and Trade Facilitation in the 21st Century Global Chain: A Study Evaluating International Agreements to Implement the SAFE Framework of Standards U.S. Chamber of Commerce, April 2008 Land Transport Options Between Europe and Asia: Commercial Feasibility Study U.S. Chamber of Commerce, July 2006 Transport, Transit and Transactions: Easing Trading Bottlenecks in Landlocked States OSCE Magazine, June-July 2007 Also available in French and Russian MC Decision No. 11/06 on Future Transport Dialogue in the OSCE OSCE, Brussels, December 2006 Also available in French and Russian Border Security and Management Concept: Framework for Co-operation by the OSCE Participating States OSCE, Ljubljana, December 2005