By Signatories, we mean the Compensation Bodies and Guarantee Funds from the EEA Member States which have entered into various agreements for better and smoother cooperation between them when handling claims related to cross border road traffic accidents. Working arrangements between these bodies were signed in November 2008.

The 4th Directive provided for an Agreement that the Compensation Bodies of each EEA Member States had to sign between themselves and with the respective Guarantee Funds in 2002 (and which was extended in 2004 and 2006 respectively following the latest enlargements of the EU). This agreement aims mainly at defining the tasks and obligations of these bodies and the procedure of reimbursement.

This agreement was also followed by an Implementing Regulation signed in 2006 by the Compensation Bodies and the Guarantee Funds which provided for more details for the implementation of the Agreement and set up a Co-ordination Committee responsible for its smooth operation.

The Council of Bureaux provides secretarial assistance to the Co-ordination Committee and any possible resulting committee and/or working group(s).

On a voluntary basis, some Guarantee Funds² have also signed in 1995 a convention on recourse in case of insolvency of a motor liability insurer operating in the Single Market.

During the 2008 Conference in Rome, 22 EEA Guarantee Funds and Compensation Bodies (except HU, RO, SE, EE, GB, IE, NO & IS) voluntarily agreed to sign another convention on insolvency, namely the Agreement in the event of the insolvency of an insurance undertaking providing civil liability motor insurance in the Single Market. Unlike the 1995 Convention, this Agreement defines the tasks and obligations of the signatory Compensation Bodies and Guarantee Funds, as well as the reimbursement procedure, related to the compensation of a visiting victim who suffers damages following an accident involving a vehicle insured by an insolvent insurance undertaking and who requested the intervention of its Compensation Body.

² BE, DE, DK, ES, FR, GB, GR, IE, NL, PT, AT, FI, SE, IT extended in 2008 to CY, CZ, EE, HU, PL SK, SI &CH/FL.