What is ATP Agreement?
“The Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for such Carriage (ATP)” agreement is a United Nations treaty that establishes standards for the international transport of perishable food between the states that ratify the treaty. It was done at Geneva on 1 September 1970 and entered into force on 21 November 1976.
The ATP establishes harmonized and improved technical conditions for the preservation of the quality of perishable foodstuffs during their carriage. These conditions concern mainly the temperature to be observed during the carriage and the equipment used for the carriage. The ATP establishes the appropriate temperatures under which the various types of perishable foodstuffs should be carried. It also lays down the requirements for the equipment, including its refrigerating capacity, insulating capacity and efficiency of thermal appliances as well as the methods and procedures for measuring and checking them.
Purpose of the Agreement
The objectives of the ATP are to facilitate international transport of perishable foodstuffs and to ensure a high level of preservation of the quality of perishable foodstuffs during their carriage.
Contracting Parties
As of 2020, the following 50 states are party to ATP:
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA and Uzbekistan.
Perishable Foodstuffs
There is no definition of perishable foodstuffs in ATP. The ATP contains a non-exclusive list of products and sets the warmest possible temperature of the load. (Annex 2 frozen foodstuffs, Ice cream at a temperature of -20°C and frozen fish at -18°C. Annex 3 chilled foodstuffs, cooled but above freezing. Meat products, pasteurized milk at +6°C, red meat at +7°C. Fresh fruit and vegetables unless processed are not covered by ATP.)
Short Background of ATP Agreement in Turkey
Turkey has become a party to ATP Agreement in 2012 and started the certifications on 01.05.2017. However, Turkey’s ATP certifications started years before Turkey’s signing the treaty since the European countries were asking for this document. Mainly DNVGL (Germany), TÜV SÜD (Germany) and Cemafroid’s (France) ATP certificates were used due to the imported trailers. Turkish trailer manufacturers were also using these companies to certify their own productions. First DNVGL opened a periodic testing station in Turkey in 2011 and later on TÜV SÜD in 2011 and both were active in Turkey until TSE has started to certify. These field experiences were transferred to TSE by these periodic testing stations being accredited from TSE as well.
TSE has been assigned as an Authority for approval, certification and type testing. The first national ATP Certificate was issued to a reefer semi-trailer registered in Turkey after 15 May 2017. Since then about 3000 national ATP certificates have been issued (64% for new equipment), 3 type-testing stations were set up for Turkish body manufacturers and 9 periodical testing centres around the country were built for in-service equipment. These periodical test centres are operated by TSE experts inside private companies' facilities. The owners of these facilities are trained and assessed by TSE.
ATP Certificates issued by TSE’s are accepted by all other ATP countries. A Turkish truck with a Turkish ATP certificate can drive to any other ATP country freely. From a technical point of view, TSE has fully completed the national setup for testing and certification of ATP, therefore Turkey is fully capable of certifying both new bodies and in-service bodies. TSE is also ready to increase the number of these testing facilities.
The Agreement
ATP Agreement as amended on 6 July 2020 is available in electronic version.
“The Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for such Carriage (ATP)” agreement is a United Nations treaty that establishes standards for the international transport of perishable food between the states that ratify the treaty. It was done at Geneva on 1 September 1970 and entered into force on 21 November 1976.
The ATP establishes harmonized and improved technical conditions for the preservation of the quality of perishable foodstuffs during their carriage. These conditions concern mainly the temperature to be observed during the carriage and the equipment used for the carriage. The ATP establishes the appropriate temperatures under which the various types of perishable foodstuffs should be carried. It also lays down the requirements for the equipment, including its refrigerating capacity, insulating capacity and efficiency of thermal appliances as well as the methods and procedures for measuring and checking them.
Purpose of the Agreement
The objectives of the ATP are to facilitate international transport of perishable foodstuffs and to ensure a high level of preservation of the quality of perishable foodstuffs during their carriage.
Contracting Parties
As of 2020, the following 50 states are party to ATP:
Albania, Andorra, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, UK, USA and Uzbekistan.
Perishable Foodstuffs
There is no definition of perishable foodstuffs in ATP. The ATP contains a non-exclusive list of products and sets the warmest possible temperature of the load. (Annex 2 frozen foodstuffs, Ice cream at a temperature of -20°C and frozen fish at -18°C. Annex 3 chilled foodstuffs, cooled but above freezing. Meat products, pasteurized milk at +6°C, red meat at +7°C. Fresh fruit and vegetables unless processed are not covered by ATP.)
Short Background of ATP Agreement in Turkey
Turkey has become a party to ATP Agreement in 2012 and started the certifications on 01.05.2017. However, Turkey’s ATP certifications started years before Turkey’s signing the treaty since the European countries were asking for this document. Mainly DNVGL (Germany), TÜV SÜD (Germany) and Cemafroid’s (France) ATP certificates were used due to the imported trailers. Turkish trailer manufacturers were also using these companies to certify their own productions. First DNVGL opened a periodic testing station in Turkey in 2011 and later on TÜV SÜD in 2011 and both were active in Turkey until TSE has started to certify. These field experiences were transferred to TSE by these periodic testing stations being accredited from TSE as well.
TSE has been assigned as an Authority for approval, certification and type testing. The first national ATP Certificate was issued to a reefer semi-trailer registered in Turkey after 15 May 2017. Since then about 3000 national ATP certificates have been issued (64% for new equipment), 3 type-testing stations were set up for Turkish body manufacturers and 9 periodical testing centres around the country were built for in-service equipment. These periodical test centres are operated by TSE experts inside private companies' facilities. The owners of these facilities are trained and assessed by TSE.
ATP Certificates issued by TSE’s are accepted by all other ATP countries. A Turkish truck with a Turkish ATP certificate can drive to any other ATP country freely. From a technical point of view, TSE has fully completed the national setup for testing and certification of ATP, therefore Turkey is fully capable of certifying both new bodies and in-service bodies. TSE is also ready to increase the number of these testing facilities.
The Agreement
ATP Agreement as amended on 6 July 2020 is available in electronic version.