Group of maritime industry stakeholders call for repeal of consortia block exemption regulation

A number of organisations representing shipping lines, shippers, freight forwarders, terminal operators, labour and port authorities have jointly called for the repeal of the EU’s Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (BER) unless a revised regulatory framework clarifying the current BER is adopted.

The BER, which allows carriers to operate as consortia in trades serving the EU, expires in April 2020, and several groups representing the container shipping industry have previously called for it to be renewed for five years.

The stakeholders arguing against the BER’s renewal include the European Association for Forwarding, Transport, Logistics and Customs Services (CLECAT), the European Shippers Council, Feport, the Global Shippers’ Forum and the International Union for Road-Rail Combined Transport.