ESC, ELAA discuss documentation ?problem areas?

ESC, ELAA discuss documentation ôproblem areasö Confirming the thawing relationship between the European Shippers' Council and European Liner Affairs Association, the two Brussels-based organizations Thursday held an exploratory meeting to discuss documentation 'problem areas.'
   The ESC has agreed with the ELAA not to divulge the nature of its members' complaints until a series of upcoming meetings have been concluded. But the Shippers Forum in Amsterdam in November revealed shippers' frustration with the poor standard of carriers' documentation processes, not helped by the outsourcing of customer service centers.
   The ESC and the ELAA have been at the center of an often-bitter campaign related to the end of the liner conference system in Europe.
   Documentation 'is one of the issues our members have urged us to look into with carriers. This marks a positive step in relations between shippers and carriers we look forward to making progress on,' said Nicolette van der Jagt, the ESC's secretary general.
   Chris Bourne, ELAA's executive director, said the meeting was 'an encouraging first step.'