EU to End Decades-Long Antitrust Exemption for Cargo Transporters

11 Oct 2023 CW Team

Cargo transport businesses will no longer benefit from a decades-long exemption from EU antitrust regulations beginning next year, because the exemption no longer benefits competition, EU antitrust regulators said on Tuesday.

The Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER), first implemented in 2009, allows liner shipping companies with a combined market share of less than 30% to collaborate to provide joint cargo transport services as long as they do not control pricing or share markets.

The European Commission stated that the exemption, which was extended in 2014 and 2020, will expire in April of next year.

""Given the small number and profile of consortia falling within the scope of the CBER, the CBER brings limited compliance cost savings to carriers and plays a secondary role in carriers' decision to cooperate,"" the EU executive said in a statement.

""Furthermore, over the evaluation period, the CBER was no longer enabling smaller carriers to cooperate among each other and offer alternative services in competition with larger carriers,"" the Commission, which acts as the competition enforcer in the 27-country European Union, said.

Cargo transporters considering collaboration must determine if it is compliant with EU antitrust guidelines.

In order to encourage competition, the EU competition watchdog has approved exemptions for specific sectors over the years.

Infrastructure Urban

13 Mar 2026

Implementation Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

Since August 2019 the Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission to provide assured potable water through household tap connections in rural India. At the start of the mission only 32.3 million (mn) rural households, representing 16.7 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections. States and union territories have reported that 125.8 mn additional rural households have since been provided with tap connections. As a result, of about 193.6 mn rural households roughly 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water supply at home.\n\nThe State, district and village level st..

Jal Jeevan Mission Reaches Eighty One Per Cent Rural Coverage

The Government reported substantial progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in August 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household. At launch only 32.3 million (mn) rural households had tap connections and states and Union territories reported provision of 125.8 mn additional households by March 2026. Consequently, out of about 193.6 mn rural households around 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water at home. The Finance Minister announced extension of the mission until 2028 in the 2025-26 budget speech. The Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen, launched in October 20..

Empowering Local Governance for Sustainable Rural Water Supply

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has aligned the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the 73rd Amendment to strengthen village level planning and community ownership of water supply. Gram Panchayats, village water and sanitation committees and Pani Samitis are to plan, implement, manage and maintain piped water systems, with gram sabha processes formalising handover and oversight. Implementation support agencies including non government organisations, community based organisations and self help groups have been empanelled to train local committees and promote women participation. Under JJM, the department ..