Dangerous Goods Regulations in Europe and Worldwide Inland Navigation and Other Modes of Transport

For thousands of years a flourishing exchange of goods has been taking place all over Europe, and once gunpowder had been invented, this trade included dangerous goods. As early as 1831 regulations where introduced for the Rhine river - the world's busiest inland waterway today- to cover the transport of those goods. Another mode of transport was added in 1891 with an international convention on the carriage of dangerous goods by rail. Today these regulations are known as the RID. Air transport, road transport and carriage by sea each followed in the middle of the 20th century. These international regulatory regimes have been supplemented by national regulations; in 1958 regulations for the carriage of radioactive materials were added. Since, for historical reasons, separate dangerous goods regulations were developed for each mode of transport, there now exist several different regulatory regimes. For Europe, and indeed the whole world, these uncoordinated regulations pose a serious problem. In my paper I will show - which regulations are applicable in Europe, - which role international transport organizations play and - which role the European Community plays. Special emphasis will be placed on inland navigation, since it is this mode of transport that will experience extensive changes during 1992.