14


Issue 4 2012


Olympics boost for Thames freight


UPS is using two barges to deliver freight to the London 2012 Games site, from its London 2012 logistics facility at the Port of Tilbury, to Northumberland Wharf, a couple of miles from the Olympic Village. The demonstration event is being undertaken by the London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) in partnership with UPS and Transport for London. Barges have already been used to transport 38 containers of furniture to kit out the Olympic and Paralympic Village ahead of the athletes’ arrival this


summer. If this initiative is upscaled, barges


could help to relieve London’s road networks, supporting LOCOG’s broader sustainability efforts by reducing traffic congestion and noise pollution and inspire change in future use of the Thames, says UPS. UPS has also produced a


reference document to help the future transportation of goods on the Thames - the first of its kind, - and could potentially leave a lasting legacy by assisting businesses and organisations, to shift freight from road to water.


Commission calls for more cabotage


A report by a high-level European Commission group has recommended gradual opening of the road transport cabotage market. The report, published on 20 June, will be considered in the Commission’s final report, due to be published at the end of 2013. Depending on the results, the


Commission will also decide whether


to introduce any new


legislation. A white


paper on transport


published in April 2011 has already recommended elimination of


current restrictions on cabotage, and itself follows the introduction of the existing regulation ( 1072/2009), which allows for three consecutive cabotage


operations in one


international journey within a period of seven days, and allows transporters to carry out cabotage en route back to their country of origin. The high-level group


recommended that market liberalisation should be accompanied by measures to protect working conditions and operators would require prior


registration. In response, the International


Road Transport Union (IRU) said it agreed that the market cannot be opened without harmonisation of road transport related rules, the introduction of a shared liability regime, and access to the profession for freight forwarders. But it was unclear whether the group was


recommending that


both accompanying measures and greater market openness should be implemented simultaneously. Furthermore, the report’s


recommendations on driver shortages and innovation within the sector might take too long to implement. IRU was also disappointed that its call for reinstatement of the TIR System in the EU was not even considered. This was despite the HLG acknowledging that two thirds of the EU road freight market is being controlled by freight forwarders, who also control the existing T-form system while forcing road transport companies out of the market through dissuasive pricing policies.


Kallas set for collision over cross-border gigaliners


EU Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas has decided to allow longer 25-metre trucks – so-called ‘gigaliners’ – to operate cross-border between two member states that authorise them on their territory. However, his interpretation of Directive 96/53/EC on the weight and dimension of vehicles could put him on a


collision-course


with the European Parliament’s Committee on Transport (TRAN). They accuse Kallas of sidelining MEPs and unilaterally interpreting the directive and overturning


accepted opinion that a legislative amendment was necessary. Later, on 19 June, TRAN asked the


opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI) on the Commission’s reinterpretation of Directive 96/53/EC. TRAN coordinators all found that the Commission had overstepped its authority on the matter, explained committee chair, Brian Simpson. JURI will be asked to give its opinion on whether or not Parliament’s rights have been respected. Simpson said: “No matter whether gigaliners are a good or


bad idea, the problem is the process. The Commission is completely bypassing the European Parliament”. Meanwhile, transport pressure


group Freight on Rail has described moves to allow mega trucks between consenting countries as being in blatant disregard of the democratic process and that the rules would be “impossible to enforce”. At the moment, countries are only permitted to have larger heavier HGVs - which do not comply with existing international


regulations - to operate within their own borders. Freight on Rail adds that while


the UK currently does not allow gigaliners, it believes it “will come under huge pressure from the road haulage industry on competition grounds to allow these lorries, despite all the adverse safety, congestion and environmental consequences.” The group is urging the UK government to maintain its agreed position and resist any attempt to force mega trucks onto UK roads.


Welcome package for rail industry


The Rail Freight Group said it welcomed the agreement on recasting the First Railway Package reached on 19 June between the EU member states, the European Parliament and the Commission. The Group said it would take


forward liberalisation of all Europe’s railways and would allow full open access for all operators to rail networks


and terminals, and better and more independent regulation. It would also lead to better collaboration between the regulatory bodies as well as closer co-operation and consultation between train operators and infrastructure managers. RFG chairman Tony Berkeley


added: “We also await with interest the expected decision from the


European Court later this year on infraction proceedings against 13 member states for non-compliance with the original First Railways Package of 2001. If the Commission wins, then we hope and expect all member states to implement the necessary legislation without delay so that the benefits of full liberalisation, transparency and greater separation


of infrastructure management from all train operators will for the first time create a truly open, competitive market in rail freight, leading to strong growth.” He said it would lead to an open market throughout Europe, similar to the UK where over the past 15 years, rail freight continues to grow with intermodal traffic rising 11% in the last year alone.


///NEWS NEWS ROUNDUP FOWARDING & LOGISTICS


DHL’s Global Forwarding air and sea freight arm has launched an intercontinental door-to-door distribution service from Asia-Pacific to Europe, following introduction of its DHL Door-To-More intra-Asia Pacific service. DHL Door-To-More combines DHL’s intercontinental air freight transportation capabilities with its European ground distribution network and, says the logistics specialist, customers will benefit from shorter transit time. The service is currently offered out of Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore to over 50 countries across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. New outbound gateways will be added soon.


US-based freight forwarder BDP International is talking to three finalists in its search for a possible private equity investor, according to the Reuters news agency. The company itself said in a statement, however: “BDP is continuing to survey multiple potential investors interested in a purely financial relationship rather than an operational stake, and the process is going well...there is no single forgone conclusion as to the completion of the initiative. BDP may make a decision to have a minority partner, or choose to remain fully independent.” BDP International is now offering customised logistics solutions for construction, mining, power generation, chemical and other infrastructure projects at its office in Dartford, Kent. The US-owned company has heavy-liſt capabilities, which previously were handled by its offices in Antwerp and Nuremberg.


DB Schenker in Ireland has opened a new logistics centre at Furry Park, Santry, near Dublin. The nearly 8,000 square metre high-bay warehouse is the largest letting in the first quarter of 2012 in the country and follows the opening of a new DBS facility in Cork earlier in the year.


Nippon Express (Russia) is to open a sub-branch in Vladivostok, terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway. Economic activity in the city has been invigorated by Russian domestic car manufacturers starting up plants and Japanese companies setting up local operations.


Supply chain management company ModusLink Global Solutions has extended capacity of its Brno, Czech Republic Solution centre, one of ModusLink’s five operational sites in Europe. The 32,000 square metre production hall enables ModusLink to provide value- added warehousing, distribution, multichannel fulfilment, returns management and other critical supply chain capabilities to global technology, communications, consumer packaged goods and medical device companies.


CUSTOMS & INTERNATIONAL TRADE


The European Commission accused the G20 countries of erecting dozens of new trade barriers in a report published on 5 June, ahead of the G20 summit in Mexico later that month. It said that new restrictions introduced between September 2011 and May 2012 include border controls, behind the border measures and sector-specific stimulus measures. Worse, it added, the “pace of the introduction of new measures seems to be accelerating”. Emerging economies have been the most enthusiastic users of trade restrictive measures, including Argentina. Russia also appears to be dragging its heels on introducing reforms demanded by the World Trade Organisation ahead of the country’s accession to the organisation, scheduled to take place by the end of the summer


The European Commission filed a complaint at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) against Argentina on 25 May, in response to trade barriers imposed by the South American country including imposition of non-automatic import licensing and pre-approval requirements. Since February 2012, Argentina has subjected all imports to a pre-registration and pre-approval regime and has also required its firms to balance any imports with exports in order to obtain the necessary licences.


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