Iran to Join Agreement on Int'l Carriage of Perishable Food

Iranian lawmakers have passed the bill to allow Iran to join the Agreement on the International Carriage of Perishable Foodstuffs and on the Special Equipment to be used for such Carriage, also known as ATP.
ATP is a 1970 United Nations treaty that establishes standards for the international transport of perishable food between the states that ratify the treaty, IRNA reported on Tuesday. 
The agreement has been updated through amendments a number of times and as of 2016 has 50 state parties, most of which are in Europe or Central Asia.
It mandates that certain types of equipment be used to transport perishable food across borders and that such equipment need to be regularly inspected. For instance, equipment may need to be refrigerated, heated, or insulated. 
ATP, which entered into force on 21 November 1976 after it had been ratified by five states, applies to road and rail transport, but it does not apply to transport within the borders of a single country.
The treaty was concluded in Geneva on September 1, 1970, under the aegis of UNECE. It was signed by Austria, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland.