Press Release: Antitrust: Commission opens formal investigation into the ‘Baltic Max Feeder’ scheme for European feeder vessel owners

The European Commission opened on 15 January 2010 a formal antitrust investigation concerning the "Baltic Max Feeder" scheme over a potential breach of EU rules on restrictive business practices (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union - TFEU). The Commission is in particular concerned that the scheme, whereby European ship owners collectively agree to cover the costs of removing feeder vessels from service, may be aimed at reducing capacity and therefore at pushing up charter rates for such vessels. Typically, feeder vessels collect shipping containers from different ports and transport them to central container terminals where they are loaded onto bigger vessels.