Shipowners welcome EU's five-year extension of consortia
legality, while shippers urge EU to cancel the block
exemption

THE World Shipping Council (WSC), the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) and the International Chamber of Shipping and ICS, have welcomed the EU's extension of consortium exemption for another five years until April 2020. The move comes as consortia regulation No 906/2009 is to expire in April 2015.
The Global Shippers' Forum (GSF), on the other hand, is calling for a repeal of the European block exemption that allows greater scope for operational alliances in which the ships are run in united ship management system, but function independently in sales and customer service. >More
 

G6 reveals rotations for proposed 5 transatlantic and 12
Asia-USWC services

MEMBERS of the G6 shipping Alliance - APL, Hapag-Lloyd, Hyundai, MOL, NYK and OOCL - have announced their proposed service expansion into the transatlantic and Asia-North America west coast trades.
Subject to regulatory approval, the combined 17 services are scheduled to start in the second quarter.
G6 said in the press release that its members will continue to market these services individually with a proposed expansion, offering 29 services covering all three major east-west trade lanes. >More
 

Is the merger between Hapag-Lloyd and CSAV an
exceptional case?

CHILEAN shipping firm Compania Sud Americana de Vapores (CSAV) shareholders have voted 84.5 per cent to merge with German shipping line Hapag-Lloyd (HL), creating the world’s fourth largest container carrier and the first amalgamation in shipping industry since 2006 as well.
CSAV general manager Oscar Hasbun said in a company statement: "Once again our investors have shown their support for the project that we are promoting, and their confidence in the operation we are undertaking.  >More
 

Legal expert: P3/G6 should win EU okay, but with
modifications

ONE expert legal opinion suggests EU regulators sitting in judgment on the proposed P3 and the expanded G6 alliances will opt for approval, but with modifications, reports Lloyd's List.
Changes could be minor; demanding stronger measures to ensure information is kept confidential, or major such as insisting the alliances could go ahead, but with fewer members.
"It is my instinct that it will not block the whole partnership," said Brussels-based McGuire Woods partner Matthew Hall, who specialises in the EU regulatory area. >More
 

The European Parliament votes to exempt international
flights from paying EU carbon emissions tax

THE European Parliament voted on April 3 to exempt international flights from paying for the EU carbon emissions amid pressure from national governments to continue applying the rule to domestic flights only.
The European Parliament voted by 458 votes to 120 to limit the current regulation to domestic flights until at least 2016, a spokesman for the Parliament said in a statement, reported Reuters.
The vote marks the end of three years of debate, during which China and the United States had threatened retaliation if the EU forged ahead with plans to tax carbon emissions over non-EU airspace. >More