1. Impact of Economic and Technical Developments on Road Carriers’ Contractual Liability Prof. Jacques Putzeys IRU Geneva 24 February 2012 9 th Symposium of Lawyers J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20121

2. Developments Evolution does not mean freedom! Eliminating barriers across modes and fair competition entail Constraints Primarily POLITICAL but also - economic- environmental - logistic- legal - technical- protective J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20122

3. Economic Constraints Globalization, therefore combined transport Lean supply chain – stock-en-route Therefore: just-in-time delivery Transport is an integrated part of LOGISTICS J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20123

4. Logistic Constraints Foresee the unforseeable! Changing company structure > IT is vital Europe 2009 Package: > access to the market > admission to the occupation > new documents (e-CMR ?) J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20124

5. Technical Developments IT management fleet tracking cargo tracking documents Vehicles Traffic J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20125

6. Containers A REVOLUTION! Technical: yes, but… Above all legal: “said to contain” Unknown cargo Unknown packaging Impossible to check J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20126

7. Environmental Constraints For companies: settlement permit For vehicles: CO² emissions Threat to road carriers “Break the system’s dependence on oil” (EC White Paper, 2011) J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20127

8. Legal Developments Each mode has built its own protection instruments But today, there is only one supply chain, therefore a single transport chain What about transfers from one mode to another? What about different and successive liabilities? J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20128

9. “All Risks” Insurance General observation: The clients don’t care The choice of a transport mode is not dictated by its governing legal framework. ° Therefore: the coverage issue reverts to the insurers What insurers? The same ones! No claims!: insurers, co-insurers, reinsurers, retroceding insurers, etc. J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 20129

10. QUO VADIS? Uniform legislation for all? 1980 TCM? 2008 Rotterdam Rules? Multimodal General Conditions? IRU to take interest in multimodal transport + a more open market. Likely evolution? Greater liability! J.Putzeys - IRU - 24 02 201210