European forwarders and terminal operators urge EU to deal with “market distortions”

CLECAT and FEPORT, which represent thousands of European freight forwarders and port terminals have called on the European Commission to avoid market distortions and to unbundle activities eligible for favourable tax treatment under tonnage tax schemes.

The call follows last week’s decision by the European Commission, clearing the Italian maritime industry state aid.

The special tax regime will not only be applied to a shipping company’s core revenues from shipping activities, such as cargo and passenger transport, but equally to certain ancillary revenues that are closely connected to shipping activities.