Overview News
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Concerns expressed to MEPs over Rail Recast Package
11-05-2012 -
ESC Maritime Transport Council Chairman loses his last fight
10-05-2012 -
32 billion Euro for transport
25-04-2012 -
ESC appoints a new Secretary General
20-04-2012 -
Green Freight Europe gets European Commission approval
29-03-2012 -
ESC reactions to the FMC’s Study of the 2008 Repeal of the Liner Conference exemption from EU Competition Law
22-02-2012 -
The continuing threat to shipping and cargo from acts of piracy
09-02-2012 -
ESC mourns the loss of Rail Freight Council Chairman following tragic accident
10-01-2012 -
European Initiative for a new CO2-monitoring programme gathers momentum
12-12-2011 -
ESC comments on agreement between MSC & CMA CGM
06-12-2011 -
ESC's Customers' Charter goes Green to address Sustainable Shipping
30-09-2011 -
ESC welcomes Time-definite services launched by Maersk Line
15-09-2011 -
ESC welcomes agreement in IMO but opposed to fuel levies on GHG emissions in shipping
20-07-2011 -
Postpone new low sulphur fuel regulation or risk major shift to road freight, warns ESC
15-07-2011 -
Ringing in the changes: European Shippers’ Council supports drive for new business models
08-06-2011 -
EMS Forum welcomes announcement Dutch government to allow EMS vehicles
20-05-2011 -
Shippers largely welcome Commission’s ambitious Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area
28-03-2011 -
ESC elects new Chairman
24-03-2011 -
Shippers warn: Piracy is not a local issue but a global concern for all
25-02-2011 -
ESC urges shippers to take a more proactive role in air freight
11-02-2011 -
ESC opens debate on the "grey box" concept
22-11-2010 -
How to deliver sustainable business models for future rail freight services
12-11-2010 -
ESC welcomes Commission decision on Air Price Fixing Cartel
10-11-2010 -
ESC warns knee-jerk reactions from air cargo security regulators could be counter-productive
05-11-2010 -
European single wagon-load rail freight service threatens to implode on itself and shippers
24-10-2010 -
European Council agreement will not sustain the ‘greening of transport’
18-10-2010 -
ESC welcomes proposals to eliminate anti-trust immunity for carriers in the US
27-09-2010 -
ESC welcomes Recast First Railway Package
17-09-2010 -
LOGSEC project launched to improve understanding of logistics and supply chain security
23-04-2010
News
ESC welcomes Commission decision on Air Price Fixing Cartel
- Wednesday, 10 November 2010
The European Shippers' Council has welcomed the announcement made last night (9th November) of Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia regarding a Commission decision on the cartel activities of 11 air cargo carriers.
The decision follows an investigation of the Commission which started in 2006 into price-fixing and cartel activity in which the Commission discovered that airlines had for over six years, from late 1999 to early 2006 participated in price fixing activities on costs associated with air freight worldwide.
Price fixing involved the fuel surcharge and after the attacks of September 2001 a Security Surcharge. The cartel member carriers calculated the surcharges in nearly identical ways, thus eliminating competition between them.
Nicolette van der Jagt, Secretary General of ESC commented: "The effect of the surcharges illegally agreed and set by some airlines has been to artificially inflate cargo shipment prices to the benefit of those cartel members and to the detriment of the customer which is in clear violation of the EU competition rules."
"We are pleased that the Commission has finally issued its long awaited decision. The Commission has confirmed that the decision is binding proof that the illegal conduct has occurred, which now opens the way for compensation claims to proceed through the courts by those shippers that choose to. There are hundreds of shippers that have already signed up with various legal firms to pursue such claims on their behalf, and cases have already been filed in the UK and Dutch courts. I anticipate many more shippers joining such action as these cases now proceed following the Commission's decision."
"The most important outcome for ESC, however, from this whole affair is that this decision acts as an effective deterrent to anyone considering coordinating their pricing strategies in the future."
How to become a member
People involved directly or indirectly in the movement of freight and the procurement of freight transport and logistics services must keep up with new proposals that could affect their business and stay ahead of developments.
The European Shippers’ Council represents the freight transport interests of some 100,000 companies.