Legal Instrument

The Convention on the Contract for the International Carriage of Goods by Road (CMR) aims to harmonize international road transport rules by standardizing documentation requirements, contract terms, carrier liability, and claims procedures. The Convention, through its Additional Protocol, establishes a framework for electronic consignment notes that ensures they have the same legal validity and evidentiary value as traditional paper documents. This enables the digitalization of road transport documentation while maintaining legal certainty and standardization.

Key paperless trade provisions found in the Additional Protocol concerning the Electronic Consignment Note include:

• Legal equivalence of electronic and paper consignment notes
• Electronic authentication requirements
• Digital signature protocols
• Electronic record integrity standards
• Data format specifications
• Electronic document transmission rules
• Digital evidence requirements
• Electronic archiving standards
• Data security measures
• Cross-border recognition procedures