Stampa

Report on provisions regarding the road haulage sector


PRESS RELEASE


PRESS RELEASE



ROAD HAULAGE: ANTITRUST AUTHORITY CONTESTS COMPETITION-RESTRICTING MINIMUM TARIFFS

Report submitted to Government and Parliament after amendments passed by the Senate were omitted from the so-called “maxi-amendment” and ahead of today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers.

Agreements within the road haulage sector that fix “minimum operating costs” translate into minimum tariffs that instead of ensuring baseline service quality and safety standards afford below-par haulers   guaranteed profits.
The Antitrust authority has reported these conclusions to Government and Parliament in the wake of the budget amendments approved by the Senate Committee which, however, were subsequently omitted from the so-called “maxi-amendment” passed by the House, and ahead of today’s meeting of the Council of Ministers whose agenda includes a decree law on the road haulage sector.
The Antitrust authority stresses that the need to guarantee safety standards can be met through measures that better preserve competitive practice, namely that the exercise, and possible extension, of the legal control and sanction powers of public administration bodies is sufficient to ensure minimum quality standards as well as comply with employment and social security regulations without introducing competition restrictions whose sole purpose is to protect hauler profits.
Similar concern stems from provisions in the amendments whereby voluntary agreements not finalised within nine months after the date of entry into force of the new regulation enable “minimum operating costs” to be set by the legislator.  

Rome, 16th July 2010