The European Commission (EC) wants to exempt liner-shipping consortia from its most stringent competition rules for another five years.
Draft regulation being drawn up in Brussels will exempt the consortia from European antitrust rules until April 2020.
The proposals granting a block exemption could take effect in April 2015 upon the expiration of EC Consortia Regulation No 906/2009 at that time.
Lines are allowed to co-operate as part of a consortia for the purpose of providing a joint service and regulators in Brussels are keen to maintain consortia block exemption regulation (BER).
However,
