Foreign relations in 2012

The ERA is both a member in numerous international organisations and a cooperation partner of several international organisations and associations.

The ERA represents Estonia in the World Road Association – PIARC and in the Association of European Vehicles and Driver Registration Authorities – EReg. The ERA is also a member in the Conference of European Road Directors – CEDR; Baltic Road Association – BRA;  the European Car and Driving License Information System – EUCARIS; the International Motor Vehicle Inspection Committee – CITA; Confederation of Organizations in Road Transport Enforcement – CORTE; the International Commission for Driver Testing – CIECA. The ERA also cooperates with the Standing International Road Weather Commission – SIRWEC.  

During the year, the ERA welcomed road and transport delegations from different countries, such as Vietnam, Finland, Russia, Latvia, etc.

Within the framework of Nordic cooperation, the ERA organised the EasyWay working group meeting, held in Estonia on 7 and 8 June.

As for international cooperation, the ERA participated in numerous joint projects, such as WhiteRoads, a project of the European Union Road Federation, BALTRIS, etc.

2012 also saw the construction of Mazsalaca – Kilingi-Nõmme road, a joint project of Estonia and Latvia; the Latvian part was completed in 2012, the Estonian part received the embankment and underlying layers in 2012 and will be completed in the first half of 2013.

The representatives of the ERA took part in the regular sessions, committee meetings and other regular events of the Baltic Road Association in Lithuania. The presidency of the Lithuanian Road Administration in the Baltic Road Association will culminate in the XXVIII Baltic Road Conference in Vilnius. Next, the presidency will be passed to the ERA.

From 11 to 13 June, the 21st Nordic Road Congress, Via Nordica 2012 was held in Reykjavík in cooperation between the Nordic Road Association and the Baltic Road Association. The ERA participated in the conference together with the Latvian and Lithuanian Road Administration and attended the exhibition.

As a member of the Baltic Road Association (BRA), the ERA manages the website www.balticroads.net, a joint project of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia, which provides road information in real time. In collaboration with the Baltic Road Association, the ERA also regularly publishes the „The Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering“.

In collaboration with the CEDR, regular cooperation took place on both governing board and deputy director, as well as working group level; annual conclusions were made at the CEDR governing board meeting, held in Vilnius on 27 and 28 September.

The work results and financial results of PIARC were approved at the annual meeting held in Lucerne, Switzerland, on 24-26 October; also, a new president was elected for the association, and the programme for the next period between the conferences was adopted.

Foreign Relations in 2011

The ERA is a member of many international organizations. In several of them (BRA, CEDR, PIARC) the ERA has voting rights in the management body, and in others it has a representative in professional committees which deal with topical problems of road management and registers. In addition, the ERA has cooperation partners among other organisations.

The Vehicle Register administered by the ERA is connected with several international information systems. In 2011, representatives of the ERA made two presentations in Mexico at the World Road Association (PIARC) congress with the world`s largest audience of road and transport specialists.

On  May 31, the representatives of the ERA and the Czech company Iveco Czech Republic signed a contract for purchasing 110 buses of Iveco IRISBUS Crossway type financed from the funds obtained on the basis of the trading agreement of CO2 emission quota concluded between the Republic of Estonia and the Kingdom of Spain in autumn.

As a joint project of Estonia and Latvia, a reconstructed segment of Karksi-Nuia – Lilli – Ruhja/Rujiena – Valmiera road was opened in 2011 with Latvian and Finnish representatives taking part in the event. The joint project became possible due to the fact that having joined the Schengen visa zone at the end of 2007, Estonia was granted access to all national roads near Estonian southern border which had been closed so far.

The chairing country of the Baltic Road Association during 2009–2011 was Lithuania. During that period the ERA participated in the regular sessions of the BRA Council as well as other regular events in Lithuania. In cooperation with the Baltic Road Association, the Baltic Journal of Road and Bridge Engineering is being published. The journal is rapidly becoming known within the academic world.

In 2011, ERA worked in close cooperation with the Nordic Road Association. Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the Baltic Road Association (BRA) and Nordic Road Association (NRA), and agreements made with the road administrations of Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland, common activities have continued in the field of research, technology, training and other areas. The BRA and NRA have exchanged a lot of information about the reforms that have been under way.

In August, a joint workshop with the project managers of Latvian Road Administration took place, and in September, a workshop of road museums (incl. Poland) was held within the framework of the NordBalt project. The representatives of ERA took part in the Nordic countries bridge workshop in Copenhagen and made presentations at the 4th joint workshop on reconstruction in Åland.

The ERA administers the web-site www.balticroads.net, where road information in real time is provided within the framework of the joint project of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia.