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ENT12: Tracking and tracing of Dangerous Goods

Background and contents

Transit per se concerns several national territories. We already share the possible jeopardy of the transport of dangerous goods (TDG) in Europe. Therefore why not at least co-ordinate solutions or at best join them?

Indeed, the relevant scale is the European one. Between 1990 and 2002, the amount of moved dangerous goods increased by 13%, from 98.3 to 111.1 billion tonnes-km per year in EU. If one adds the newcomer countries, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania and Bulgaria, the amount reached 147.7 billion tonnes-km in 2000.

Within Schengen area, the disappearance of ground borders internationalized the issues of safety.

Vehicules/goods travels could be monitored through ITS. Potential outcomes of E-call should also be studied.

It may be possible to shift from a system managing fleets to one managing freight (parcels and specified packets) with RFID devices.

In this abundance of opportunities, numerous interesting national or euro-regional initiatives already appear as good practices of TDG.

Among these existing processes, which role can be played by ERA-NET TRANSPORT? How gaps be filled and existing initiatives be bridged at the same time? In any case, overlappings have to be avoided.

Key ideas and objectives

The idea would be a European common electronic platform, that means a database with the high consequence dangerous goods dispatched in the different countries. Interfaces would be needed with existing platforms such as Safe Sea Net, Airnet, RIS. The platform could find wider applications if it is not only used by States but also by interested private companies. It would concern both nominal situation (concentration effect, thresholds) and crisis situations (rescue organisation). Possible links with MITRA should be investigated.

The same infrastructure could be used for E-call and tracking and tracing. It would add nominal situation management to e-call.

The access to data should be limited so that data could be secured as well as quality. The access could vary between different purposes.

This platform would raise the question of common standards. Also the maintenance of such a platform has to be taken into account.

Participating countries

Austria, France (leader), Netherlands (leader)

Expected results and aim of cooperation

The cooperation is starting with a joint preliminary study.On the basis of the results, the opportunity to reach higher levels of coordination, such as a joint call, will be examined.

The action group is opened to any new partner agreeing with the objectives.

Status and intermediate results

The position paper and some country contributions have been written.
The worklan has been finalised.
The MoU is about to be signed. As soon as it is signed, the joint study is starting.
During the time of the study, the action groups members are the steering committee of the joint study.