Kuehne + Nagel backs Rotterdam Rules
Kuehne + Nagel has announced its support for the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, commonly known as the Rotterdam Rules.
"It's very positive as a harmonisation of regulations, because the industry really needs greater standardisation," said K + N northwest Europe chief executive Tim Scharwath.
"But we also believe that major countries will have to ratify the treaty if it is to have this effect," he was quoted as saying in a report by London's International Freighting Weekly.
The Rotterdam Rules are intended to replace the Hamburg and Hague Visby compensation regimes for international carriage of cargo and will supersede national trade legislation. They were adopted by the general assembly of the UN late last year and will enter into force as soon as 20 countries have ratified them.
"It must be ratified by the strongest countries in the world, otherwise it's just going to be another set of rules and won't have the effect of pushing towards standardisation," added Mr Scharwath.
The ESC has opposed wider ratification because of what it calls "inherent dangers" for European importers and exporters.
But marine underwriters such as the TT Club have voiced support for the proposed regimen as have the World Shipping Council, America's National Industrial Transportation League and the European Community Shipowners' Association.
Yet the European Commission's delegate from the energy and transport directorate, Pawel Stelmaszczyk, told an ESC seminar in Antwerp that Rotterdam Rules did "not conform to the European multimodal expectations".
Mr Stelmaszczyk also said the EU would issue an alternate proposal later this year with a view to establishing global uniformity on liability, obligations and conditions of carriage.
"It's very positive as a harmonisation of regulations, because the industry really needs greater standardisation," said K + N northwest Europe chief executive Tim Scharwath.
"But we also believe that major countries will have to ratify the treaty if it is to have this effect," he was quoted as saying in a report by London's International Freighting Weekly.
The Rotterdam Rules are intended to replace the Hamburg and Hague Visby compensation regimes for international carriage of cargo and will supersede national trade legislation. They were adopted by the general assembly of the UN late last year and will enter into force as soon as 20 countries have ratified them.
"It must be ratified by the strongest countries in the world, otherwise it's just going to be another set of rules and won't have the effect of pushing towards standardisation," added Mr Scharwath.
The ESC has opposed wider ratification because of what it calls "inherent dangers" for European importers and exporters.
But marine underwriters such as the TT Club have voiced support for the proposed regimen as have the World Shipping Council, America's National Industrial Transportation League and the European Community Shipowners' Association.
Yet the European Commission's delegate from the energy and transport directorate, Pawel Stelmaszczyk, told an ESC seminar in Antwerp that Rotterdam Rules did "not conform to the European multimodal expectations".
Mr Stelmaszczyk also said the EU would issue an alternate proposal later this year with a view to establishing global uniformity on liability, obligations and conditions of carriage.