Shippers support ELAA data swap plan
The majority of European shippers surveyed by the European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA) support its proposal for a data-swapping regime to replace the conference system which the EU is banning from October 2008.ELAA’s Executive Director, Chris Bourne said: “We are pleased that the majority of shippers who we surveyed were supportive of the fundamentals of our Proposal. For example; 80% felt that carriers discussing trade developments, including supply of capacity and demand, would be helpful; 75% supported carriers publishing their own supply/demand forecasts and all The survey’s questionnaire asked shippers about their views on the sensitive areas of supply side forecasting as well as lines discussing trade developments both with and without shipper consultation. These were issues highlighted by the European Commission’s (EC) Competition Directorate in recently published Issues Paper as matters of concern. ELAA said that the survey revealed that shippers felt these elements to be very useful in a system replacing conferences.The survey’s findings form part of ELAA’s its response to the Issues Paper which forms part of a process to formulate Guidelines on the application of competition rules. These will be published next year and will direct the shipping industry subsequent to the abolition of liner conferences in Europe on 18 October 2008.
