The Warsaw & Montreal  Convention is an international convention which regulates liability for international carriage of persons, luggage or goods performed by aircraft for reward.

The Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) was set up on 1 May 1985. The Organisation’s basis under international law is the Convention of 9 May 1980 (COTIF). The predecessor of OTIF was the Central Office for International Carriage by Rail, which was set up in 1893.

Athens Convention relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea (PAL), 1974

The European Parliament adopted on 24 November 2010 Regulation 1177/2010  concerning rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway. The Regulation was published on 17 December 2010 in the Official Journal of the EU and its provisions will apply as from 18 December 2012.

Regulation 392/2009, adopted on 23 April 2009, on liability of carriers of passengers by sea in the event of accidents deals specifically with the rights of passengers in case of loss or damage resulting from an accident. The Regulation will apply as from 31 December 2012.

The EU approach is that international standards must be rigorously upheld, but unfortunately quite a number of flag States are systematically ignoring or seriously failing to implement and enforce international safety standards. As a result, although maritime safety is traditionally based on the role of flag states, the European Union considered it appropriate to complete the flag state approach by the port state approach where inspections by the states where ports are located are seen by many as the most effective tool to reduce substandard shipping in their waters. With the "Erika" and "Prestige" accidents off the European coasts, shortcomings of the European standards were highlighted. It was then decided to strengthened the existing legislations and complete them with new measures.