ESC webinar: Block Exemption Regulation

With the current review process of the Consortium Block Exemption Regulation (BER) by the European Commission, ESC is preparing shippers for the EC consultation on maritime alliances.

During the ESC webinar that will take place on 23rd November, 14.00-15.00, the experts will guide shippers through the questions of the EC consultation and provide feedback to any inquiries shippers may have.

To register for the ESC webinar, please send an email to Katsiaryna Kliuyeva (k.kliuyeva@europeanshippers.eu) asap.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EUROPEAN COMMISSION EVALUATION

  • The public questionnaire is available online here. The deadline to respond is 20 December 2018.
  • The targeted questionnaire is available on request from the European Commission at COMP-CONSORTIA-EVALUATION-2018@ec.europa.eu. The deadline to respond is 20 December 2018.

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON BER

The Block Exemption Regulation (BER) expires early 2020 and DG Competition has started the regulation’s review with the first round of consultations taking place early May 2018. A second review round has started in September. As you are aware, Liner Shipping Companies can operate under the Block Exemption Regulation which offers these companies more opportunities to cooperate than under regular competition law. The aim is to make container shipping more effective and more efficient. This can be done as long as their joint market share is less than 30 % and as long as the improved effectiveness and efficiency is shared with their customers (read shippers).

Since the start of the review process, the BER has been a key topic on the agenda of ESC’s Maritime Council where a critic view on the benefits the BER is delivering to shippers and cargo owners has been debated.

For more info about ESC’s position on the BER and its impact on today’s effectiveness and efficiency of the maritime supply chain, please consult the previous ESC newsletter articles:

  • 14 May 2018, ESC newsletter
  • 30 May 2018, ESC newsletter