bmvit creating validation monopoly before the public eye

Austrian forwarding association sees free competition endangered through „monopoly validation“:

The bmvit’s (Transport Ministry) implementation of the EU-regulation 185/2010 to fight terrorism is still worrying Austria’s air freight forwarders. The appointment of the Sequrity Sicherheitstechnisches Zentrum GmbH company as Austria’s only „independent validatior“ means a monopoly position, as Harald Bollmann and Andreas Demmer, President and Managing Director of the Austrian forwarding association Zentralverband Spedition & Logistik, respectively, say alarmingly in a hastily arranged press conference on Wednesday. “The competitor thus receives exclusive access to air freight customers and all data,“ they emphasise.

The assignment of the status of a “known consignor“ is currently incumbent upon the 100% subsidiary of the Augustin Quehenberger Group, based in Salzburg-Bergheim, currently employing four persons. In this context one may wonder if the Sequrity company is able of validating about 3,000 enterprises, which are prone to become known consignors in Austria. The only alternative of becoming certified as “known consignor” is a physical control of 100 per cent of export air freight consignments, which is however considerably more expensive.

As for the endangered security of customer data and blurred competition situation, the Zentralverband Spedition & Logistik are falling back to their previous claim. This involves the establishment of at least 6 industry-independent validators, which have no contractual, nor business relations to applicants for certifications, meaning forwarding companies. Moreover the current validator shall be excluded. The deadline of the European Union is April 2013, however, companies not certified until then, will have to let their export freight have controlled.

Quelle: LogEastics
Portal: www.logistik-express.com