Validation: WKO files complaint at the EU Commission

Battle about neutral validation station for “known shippers“ of air freight is passed to the next instance:

Since 9/11 increasing safety standards to fight crime and terrorism has top priority within the air freight industry. The EU regulation about “known shippers“ of air freight through „regulated agents“ (e.g. forwarding companies) still raises dust in Austria. More precisely the decision of the Austrian transport ministry BMVIT to award the function of the “validation station“ unleashed quite a commotion among the operators of the forwarding business. Instead of entrusting a – according to the regulation – neutral institution (e.g. customs authorities) with the certification process, the ministery appointed Sequrity Sicherheitstechnisches Zentrum GmbH, a 100%-subsidiary of the forwarding group Augustin Quehenberger Group, as the sole authorised certification station within the whole country. This means the forwarding company was appointed to validate also customers of competitors – neutrality can thus not be guaranteed.

As the negotiations between the Austrian Economic Chamber and the ministry of transport lead to nowhere, only the way to Brussels was left. About one week ago the Economic Chamber sent the issue in the name of Austria’s forwarding industry to the European Commission, as KR Walter Mönichweger, chairman of the professional association transport and logistics, WKO, announced to the Austrian transport magazine Österreichische Verkehrszeitung on Wednesday.

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