Welcome to the CMR
Advisory Council
CMR ADVISORY COUNCIL - NEWS
- SAVE THE DATES ! 2 events in October 2026 taking place in Romania – University of Bucharest
(programmes and registration forms scoming soon)
- CMR Academy : Training on current topics relating to the CMR – October 7th 2026
- International CMR Colloquium 2026 – Celebrating 70 Years of CMR: Challenges and Innovations– 8/9 October 2026
2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the Geneva Convention on the international carriage of goods by road (CMR). which was adopted on 19 May 1956. With 58 contracting states in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the CMR presents a milestone in the interna-tional unification of transport law.
Despite its huge success the CMR is not immune to challenges to its liability regime, e.g. from technological innovations such as the digitization of transport documents (eCMR) and legal innovations such as the negotiable cargo document. Similarly, thefts of high-value cargoes, sometimes committed by “fake” or “phantom” carriers, give rise to international litigation where the carrier’s right to limit his liability is challenged and defended between carriers and parties interested in the cargo, but also between main carriers and sub-carriers.
On 8th/9th October 2026, CMR Advisory Council and the University of Bucharest jointly organize the 2nd CMR Colloquium. Highly distinguished CMR-experts from both academia and legal practice will meet to discuss current issues regarding the interpretation and application of the CMR that have arisen in the road transport industry and are reflected in the case law of the contracting states. This CMR Colloquium is held in Romania in recognition of the increased importance of Eastern Europe for the international road transport industry. For this reason at the CMR Colloquium special attention will be given to the way in which courts and practitioners in Eastern Europe interpret and apply the CMR in their case law.
The CMR Colloquium offers a unique opportunity to refresh your knowledge, to deepen your understanding of the CMR and to examine innovations and challenges.
Become inspired by new ideas and recent developments in international case law!
The colloquium offers also an excellent opportunity to meet CMR specialists from the transport and insurance industries and from academia to extend your international professional network.
These events are supported by the International Road Transport Union (IRU), the Institute of International Transport Law (IDIT-France), the International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI), and the National Union of Road Hauliers from Romania (UNTRR).
- ADOPTION OF THE FIRST CMR-AC OPINION : Article 2.1 CMR on piggyback transport (see page ‘opinions & advices’)
The CMR-AC
The CMR Advisory Council is an academic initiative which aims at promoting a uniform and autonomous interpretation of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (Geneva, 19 May 1956) (CMR).
The CMR Advisory Council was set up in October 2023 by a group of academics specializing in international transport. The Council members do not represent countries or legal cultures, their sole objective is to improve uniform law by:
- making – as an amicus curiae to courts and arbitral tribunals in the contracting states – judicial and arbitral decisions, legal doctrine and preparatory works on the CMR Convention more easily accessible,
- providing independent, impartial and well-informed legal opinions upon interpretation issues arising under CMR.
Objectives of the Council
The purpose of the Council shall be to:
- promote a uniform interpretation of the Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) by the Courts and transport stakeholders, as guided by the preamble of the Convention.
- address issues brought to the Council’s attention via formal requests of individuals or organizations within the international community or on the Council’s own initiative, subject to Article III.1.
- issue and publish opinions and declarations on the interpretation, application, and in general the role of the Convention ss guided by its preamble in the two official languages of the CMR and in other languages required for the dissemination of these opinions.
- follow and support further work on harmonization and unification of law in the field of international transport law.
- contribute to the dissemination of knowledge on international transport law.
Board
Were elected :
- as Chairman: Pr. Frank Smeele – Erasmus University – Rotterdam – The Netherlands
- as Vice-Chair: Pr. Cécile Legros – Université de Rouen Normandie – France
- as Secretary: M. Kolacz – Maastricht University – The Netherlands
Upcoming events
OPINIONS. Work on the first opinions on Article 1.1. and Article 2.1. CMR has progressed. The first opinions are expected soon.
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CMR. Stockholm/Sweden – 19 & 20 September 2024 (programme coming soon)
REGISTRATION LINK : https://enquetes-ng.univ-rouen.fr/index.php/972246?lang=en
PROGRAMME : https://www.cmr-ac.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Program-CMR-Colloquium-2024-vdef.pdf