THE European Commission has launched a call for evidence inviting feedback on the performance of the EU legal framework which exempts liner shipping consortia from EU antitrust rules, reports Athens-based Safety4Sea.
The commission has also sent targeted questionnaires to interested parties in the maritime liner shipping supply chain on the impact of consortia between liner shipping companies, as well as of the Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) on their operations since 2020. Interested parties can provide comments until October 3.
EU antitrust rules generally ban agreements between companies that restrict competition. However, the CBER allows, under certain conditions, shipping lines with a combined market share of below 30 per cent to enter into cooperation agreements to provide joint cargo transport services, also known as 'consortia'.
The CBER is due to expire on April 25, 2024. The Commission therefore needs to carry out an evaluation of the CBER on how it has functioned since 2020.
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