The European Commission today adopted a new Block Exemption Regulation for Liner Shipping Consortia. This Regulation is important to the Liner industry as it allows Liner Shipping companies to cooperate on providing services to their customers. The benefits come from improvements in the frequency and sailings of port calls and the ability of lines to use larger, cost effective, more environmentally favourable vessels.

In welcoming the new BER Chris Bourne, European Liner Affairs Association (ELAA) Executive Director commented: 'The new Block Exemption is crucial to our industry, particularly in the present difficult economic circumstances. 'It allows lines to work together within consortia and with legal certainty of providing services to its customers. 'It is also gratifying to know that the Commission has listened to the arguments of ELAA Members and has made improvements to the wording of the original BER draft. 'We would have preferred, as in other regimes, not to have a market share threshold or a lock-in period but we appreciate that these were always difficult matters for the Commission.'