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EU: Commission drops probe into ship owner co-ops

By  |  January 31, 2013

The European Commission has reportedly closed its investigation into two ship owner co-ops, which was initiated over concerns that the owners would withdraw capacity since the co-ops offered incentives for the owners to lay-up their vessels. A lay-up means a vessel goes unused for a period of time, often for ships in colder climates. The two co-ops, Container Feeder eG and European Minibulk eG were started in December 2011 from ship companies in Northern Germany and the Netherlands in efforts to lower costs. The groups looked to coordinate some of the activities of owners of minibulk and container feeder vessels, such as joint fuel purchases. After talks with the Commission, the two groups agreed to abandon certain coordinating activities, resulting in a drop of the investigation by authorities.

 

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