For the European Shippers' Council, the new introduced alliance 2M from Maersk and MSC are less worrisome of the P3, but not innocuous



According to the European Shippers' Council (ESC), the type of Vessel Sharing Agreement introduced today from the shipowning companies Maersk Line and MSC in order to collaborate in the marine traffics East-West, to which the denomination is assigned 2M ( on 10 July 2014), he is "less worrisome for the loaders regarding the P3 project", that it had the same scope and that same the two companies had the intention of get ahead with the French CMA CGM, project that but is shipwrecked as a result of the opposition to the initiative by the Chinese antitrust ( on 17 June 2014).

However the European Shippers' Council has expressed worry also for the new form of collaboration introduced from the first two world-wide companies of the line field. For the European association of the loaders, in fact, "the cooperation precedence more was integrated and arranged than an enormous market share in all the interested traffics". The ESC has found that, "but, also "single" carriers Maersk and MSC reach about 35% of the market shares between Asia and Europe, and - it has emphasized the association - this is still very important and can reserve some surprises".

Therefore the European Shippers' Council has confirmed own fears. "This quota - it has explained the association - is sufficient in order to demand some limitation from part from the guarantor authorities of the competition". For the ESC, "those proposals from the Federal Maritime Commission for the P3 ( on March 21, 2014, ndr) aspects would be sufficient to reassure the loaders under some. The attention - it has specified the association - would have clearly to be mail on the monitoring of the modifications of the ability and on its impact on the hires. Moreover - second the ESC - it would have to be created a cetralized system of notification in order to guarantee that the loaders are informed with wide advance payment relatively to the modifications of the services (included transit the scaled Time and ports) in order to be able to hold account of such modifications in their plan of transport".

The European Shippers' Council has specified that however "the loaders will reserve much attention to the development of such alliance and its impact on the hires, the scaled ports and the quality of the services". "We continue to wish - the association has restated - a greater involvement by the "guard dogs" of the competition of the European Union". The ESC in fact is not satisfied of the limitations to the action of the placed total shipowners from the EU, than among other things last month it has decided the extension until April 2020 of the validity of the regulations of exemption for category for the shipowning companies of the line field ( on 25 June 2014). "Drawing the conclusions - it has evidenced the association - I renew of the exemption to the consortia, what of which we regret, clearly shows the difference of approach between the guarantor authorities of the competition of the European Union and those of the other part of the world when they take care of the shipping".

Besides to today introduce own observations on the new project of alliance 2M announced from Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company, the European Shippers' Council has commented also the decision communicated yesterday from the EU commission to start a groundbreaking investigation in order to assess that the nordeuropei ports Dutch and other harbour ports of call do not receive from the respective governments economic benefits in violation of the European norm on the aids of State. According to the ESC, the investigation of the EU commission "it would not have to be mainly only concentrated on the Dutch or nordeuropei ports, but on all the European ports. Moreover - it has specified the association - the lines guide of the EU on the aids of State to the ports are many waits from the European loaders. Only these - it has specified the association - can create parity of conditions for the ports and the users of the ports".