Press Release: Antitrust: Commission closes investigation into European Minibulk and Container Feeder cooperatives

The European Commission has closed an antitrust investigation into two cooperation schemes of ship owners, European Minibulk eG and Container Feeder eG.

These two maritime cooperatives established in Germany aimed to coordinate certain activities of the owners of minibulk and container feeder vessels, mainly in Northern Europe, for example the joint purchasing of inputs such as fuel. The Commission was concerned that a compensation system set up for owners laying-up their vessels (i.e. keeping them idle) would give them an incentive to withdraw capacity from the market. The Commission was also concerned that an information exchange scheme could have enabled the coordination of rates between competitors.

Following discussions with the Commission the cooperatives agreed to abandon these two aspects of their cooperation before they had been implemented. As a result, competition on the market will be maintained. Consequently, the Commission has now been able to close the case without having to initiate formal proceedings.