ESC “frustrated” by MEPs on issue of block exemption

ESC “frustrated” by MEPs on issue of block exemption

ESC “frustrated” by MEPs on issue of block exemption

   The European Shippers’ Council said last week it is frustrated by the “lack of interest and apparent understanding of the issues” being shown by many Members of the European Parliament on the review of the liner shipping block exemption.
   The ESC has long been pressing the European Commission to repeal Europe’s Regulation 4056/86, which grants liner conferences an exemption to set common freight rates and cooperate on capacity.
   Members of the European Parliament’s Transport and Tourism Committee held a meeting Aug. 30 in Brussels on the draft report of the Greek Rapporteur Ms. Kratza.
   “The debate was poor, and showed little objectivity, a lack of knowledge about the relationship between shipping lines and their customers and a flagrant disregard for the arguments raised by industry against the existing block exemption,” said Nicolette van der Jagt, secretary general of the ESC, who viewed the meeting.
   European member governments, rather than the EC, have the final say in any reform or repeal of the regulation.