国际铁路货物运输单证“不能转让”的制度改进

在现有国际铁路货物运输法律体系下,铁路货物运输单证不能转让,这一制度设计限制了以铁路运输为基础的国际货物贸易和融资的发展。应对现有国际铁路货物运输单证制度进行改革,允许铁路运单收货人记载或记名,或不记名,包容铁路运单可以是“不能转让”的,也可以是“可转让”的,为“可转让”铁路运单打开法律通道。这一改革既符合意思自治原则和经济人自主理性,又与国际运输领域单证立法规则整体上呈现出的灵活趋势保持一致。在改革路径方面,另起炉灶制定新的国际条约,会使国际铁路运输规则更为割裂,并不可取;直接在运输法领域赋予运输单证物权凭证效力,也不合适。国际铁路货物运输单证制度改革的着力点应是对《国际货协》和《国际货约》相关条款的修改。我国作为《国际货协》成员国,可以向铁路合作组织提出修改相关规则的建议,同时利用国际铁路运输政府间组织、大湄公河次区域铁路联盟等合作平台,推动国际铁路货物运输单证制度改革。

Under the existing legal system for the international carriage of goods by rail,the non-transferability of railway cargo transport documents has restricted the development of international trade and financing of goods based on railway transport.The existing system of international railway cargo transport documents should be reformed,allowing the record of consignee of railway waybill to be named or unnamed,tolerating the type of transport document which can be“non-negotiable”or“negotiable”,opening legal space for“negotiable”consignment notes.This reform is not only in line with the principle of party autonomy and economic autonomy,but also with the overall trend of flexibility in the field of international transport documentary legislative rules.In terms of the reform path,it is not advisable to create a new international treaty from scratch,which would make the rules of international railway transport even more fragmented;nor is it appropriate to give the documentary evidence in rem effect to transport documents in the field of transport law.The focus of the reform of the rules of international railway cargo transport documents should be the amendment of the relevant provisions of Agreement Concerning International Carriage of Goods by Rail and Convention concerning International Carriage by Rail.As a member of Agreement Concerning International Carriage of Goods by Rail,China may consider submitting proposals for amending relevant rules to OSJD.At the same time,we may use cooperation platforms such as OTIF and GMRA to promote the reform of the international railway cargo transportation document system.