Pre-1949

• Arrival of motor vehicles in Europe - an event for celebration.
• Not an event for total celebration since persons injured or damaged by those vehicles had no certain access to compensation.
• Remedied by the gradual introduction in European Countries, between the two world wars, of compulsory Third Party motor insurance.
• Remedy was incomplete - financial protection available only to victims of motorists resident in their countries and not for victims of visiting motorists from other countries.
• Search for a solution entrusted to the Institute of Rome for the Unification of Private Law (UNIDROIT). No positive outcome and in any event studies interrupted by the Second World War.
• Problem taken up in 1947 by the Economic Commission for Europe (E.C.E.) of the United Nations (Geneva) - question posed to Governments: "Could the legislation of their Countries contemplate an Agreement by which Insurers or a Bureau of Insurers in their countries undertake to reimburse an Insurance Company or Bureau of Insurers in another Country, amounts paid by the latter to victims of road accidents?"
• Replies were positive and events then moved rapidly.
• Idea formulated by certain Governments, much assisted by advice and assistance from Insurance Experts, for a System of the International Certificate of Motor Insurance - (the "Green Card System") - which took some account of arrangements existing in the Nordic countries.
• Led to the issue, by the Sub-Committee on Road Transport of the ECE, of Recommendation No 5 - (E/ECE/TRANS/145 - E/EEC/TRANS SC1/C 39) - 25th January 1949