The European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) was done at Geneva on 30 September 1957, under the auspices of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The English and French texts of the Agreement proper are equally authentic, in a single original; the annexes, in French, with an authoritative English translation requested of the Secretary-General. Depositary: the Secretary-General of the United Nations. It is not the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic, cited only for the definition of a vehicle, nor the later biennial consolidations of the annexes.

Article 1 defines a vehicle (motor vehicles, articulated vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers, other than those of the armed forces), dangerous goods (those whose international carriage by road is prohibited, or authorised only on certain conditions, by annexes A and B) and international transport (on the territory of at least two Parties). Article 2: goods barred by annex A shall not be accepted for international transport; other dangerous goods are authorised if they comply with annex A, in particular as to packaging and labelling, and annex B, in particular as to the construction, equipment and operation of the vehicle. The article remains a framework; it is not a classification, packaging or construction handbook.

Article 3: the annexes form an integral part. Article 4: each Party retains the right to regulate or prohibit, for reasons other than safety during carriage, the entry of dangerous goods; vehicles already in service, or brought into service within two months of entry into force, may operate for three years even if they do not entirely conform to annex B; bilateral or multilateral agreements may, on conditions notified to the Secretary-General, admit goods otherwise barred or apply less stringent conditions. Article 5: general road-traffic, international-transport and trade regulations remain applicable.

Article 6: ECE members and countries admitted in a consultative capacity may become Parties by signature, ratification or accession; the Agreement remained open for signature until 15 December 1957, thereafter for accession. Article 7: entry into force one month after the fifth instrument — 29 January 1968; the annexes only six months later. Article 8: denunciation effective after twelve months. Article 9: the Agreement ceases if, after entry into force, the number of Parties remains below five for twelve consecutive months; a later world-wide agreement would, as between common Parties, replace contrary provisions. Article 11: negotiation, then arbitration, with a permitted reservation (Article 12).

Article 13: a conference to review the text, after three years in force, if a request is supported by at least one-fourth of the Parties. Article 14: amendments to the annexes, proposed by a Party or by the Secretary-General, deemed accepted unless, within three months, at least one-third of the Parties, or five if one-third exceeds five, object. A Protocol of Signature has the same force as the Agreement (Article 16). A 1975 protocol, done at New York, amended Article 14(3); from 2021 the title no longer carries the word “European”, lest it appear closed to non-European States.

The text consulted is UNTS No. 8940, volume 619. We publish the 1957 Agreement, not the later consolidated annexes.

Cover: the Palais des Nations, ECE headquarters when the Agreement was done; we do not claim the hall. Wikimedia Commons, free licence.

Sources consulted: ADR (treaty); UNTS No. 8940 European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road.