Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations on the revision of the Transport Community Treaty

EUROPEAN COMMISSION Recommendation for a COUNCIL DECISION Brussels, 5.6.2025 COM(2025) 278 final authorising the opening of negotiations on the revision of the Transport Community Treaty EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 1. CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL • Reasons for and objectives of the proposal The Treaty establishing the Transport Community1 (TCT) has been approved by the European Union2 and ratified by six Western Balkan partners – the Republic of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of North Macedonia, Kosovo*, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia (hereinafter referred to as the South East European Parties). It entered into force on 1 May 2019. It applies in the field of road, rail, inland waterway and maritime transport and provides for the progressive integration of transport markets and networks, including airport infrastructure, on the basis of the relevant EU legislation, including in the areas of technical standards, interoperability, safety, security, traffic management, competition, social policy, public procurement and environment. Since 2019, the Transport Community has advanced this objective by strengthening regional cooperation and offering targeted technical assistance alongside capacity-building initiatives. Through these efforts, the Transport Community has made progress in aligning legislation and integrating transport markets both among the South East European Parties and between them and the EU. However, further work is still...