Reliable cold-chain transport is essential for protecting public health, ensuring the smooth movement of perishable food products across borders and reducing food loss. As governments and industry work to strengthen food safety while reducing waste and emissions, effective international rules for refrigerated transport are becoming increasingly important in an evolving environmental regulatory context.
The Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be Used for Such Carriage (ATP), administered by UNECE, provides the international framework that helps make this possible. By establishing harmonized requirements for refrigerated transport equipment and the mutual recognition of equipment certification, ATP facilitates international trade while helping to ensure that food products reach consumers in safe and high-quality condition. There are 52 parties to the Agreement, with Iran, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, and Tunisia outside the UNECE region. (....)