European Commission officials are aiming to strike a deal with Washington power brokers that would harmonise levels and standards of control for European Union and US shipping
The European Commission (EC) is trying to bounce the United States and the European Union (EU) into striking a deal on container security that would ease fears over unilateral measures taken by Washington being potentially damaging to current levels of transatlantic trade, writes Keith Nuthall.

Brussels has asked EU ministers for a mandate to try and negotiate a wide-ranging agreement that would cover all ports within the Union handling US-bound traffic, and which would focus attention on high risk cargo.

Concern is running high at the Commission over the American Government’s container security initiative, and its related 24-hour rule (whereby carriers are forced to provide US customs officials with cargo manifest details one day before the related goods are loaded on board a vessel destined for the US).

To ease the operation of the new US rules, bilateral agreements have been signed (in principle) with the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Britain allowing the stationing of US Customs officials in ports with major container traffic to the US. However, this has upset Brussels politicians because it discriminates against ports excluded from the scheme – a recent memorandum noting that it’s “likely to cause diversion of trade, and create competitive distortions between EU ports”.

As a result, the Commission wants a comprehensive pan-European deal where “security concerns would be addressed in a more effective manner”. The objective would be to harmonise levels and standards of control for EU and US shipping, and those port operators handling international container traffic. In particular, the EC wants a deal to include a common system for the identification of high risk consignments, and advice on how to collect such information and exchange it between competent authorities “so as to ensure the effective application of risk management techniques”.

The key here, according to the Commission’s note, would be “the establishment of common definitions for controls and agreement on how these definitions could be used to identify the high risk movement of goods”.

Brussels is also seeking a co-ordination of European and American positions in multilateral discussions on maritime security, such as those that have taken place at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). In addition, the Commission wants the EU and the US to develop a common approach to practical maritime security “in conformity with international commitments” (such as the IMO’s new shipping and port security code).

The objective is to push the Americans into softening the unilateralist stance taken post-September 11. EU internal market commissioner Frits Bolkestein is fully aware of US concerns, and wants commonly agreed actions to balance security and trade needs.

Source

SMT