FOUR shipowner groups, representing 90 per cent of tonnage afloat, have welcomed a call by the European Parliament for EU member states to support the Rotterdam Rules.

This comes after the European Parliament earlier this month adopted a resolution that "calls on member states speedily to sign, ratify and implement the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Carriage of Goods Wholly or Partly by Sea, known as the "Rotterdam Rules", establishing the new maritime liability system."

The European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), BIMCO and the World Shipping Council (WSC) issued a statement welcoming the resolution, which was contained in a European Parliament resolution on strategic goals and recommendations for the EU's maritime transport policy until 2018, said American Shipper.

The four trade groups said in a statement they have "all concluded that this important new regime must be promoted by the industry to avoid the risk of a proliferation of regional cargo liability regulations. However, early ratification of the UNCITRAL Convention by major trading nations, such as EU member states, will almost certainly give this process critical momentum."