[EN-LAN] European Truckers See Rotterdam Rules as Disruptive

THE Geneva-based International Road Transport Union (IRU) has added its call on governments to shun proposed liability regulations known as the Rotterdam Rules, signed last week by 15 countries, but 20 are needed it to join the body of maritime law.

The IRU said the Rotterdam Rules were a "serious threat to the harmonised application of laws governing the road transport industry," reported Britain's International Freighting Weekly.

"Under the pretext of standardising maritime law, the Rotterdam Rules dismantle the unity of current laws regulating road transport from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and create an inequity between sea/land transport and land-only transport," said IRU legal affairs chief Isabelle Bon-Garcin.

The IRU says the rules conflict with the United Nations convention on the contract for the international carriage of goods by road, and would result in "disadvantages" and "confusion". The IRU has urged governments not to agree to the new convention, which comes into effect once 20 countries have signed-up.

The European Shippers' Council (ESC) opposes the rules, but other non-European bodies like and America's National Industrial Transportation League (NITL) support them. Last week, delegates at the annual meeting of the Global Shippers' Forum refused to debate the Rotterdam Rules because of differences of opinion.

Peter Gatti, executive vice president of NITL, said: "The Rotterdam Rules are highly topical and on everyone's mind, but were not subject to discussion principally because there are points of disagreement. "

So within the confines of this meeting we've agreed to disagree," he said. ESC secretary general Nicolette van der Jagt said: "There have been exchanges with NITL over the last few months and there are some disagreements.

"We have not been able to reach a common position and that situation did not change during the Global Shippers' Forum."

One delegate at the forum said he felt the Rotterdam Rules would be pushed through, as it looked likely the US would sign up and others would follow suit.

Source : HKSG, 28.09.09