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Transport is one of the Community's foremost common policies. Since the Rome Treaty's entry into force in 1958, this policy has been focused on eliminating borders between the Member States and to therefore contribute to the free movement of individuals and of goods. Its principal aims is to extend the transport network throughout Europe and to promote international cooperation. Transport still remains the single most important link in our economy. The growing complexity of European transport law has made the subject a veritable minefield, causing many uncertainties. The process of settling a claim can be confusing, time-consuming and expensive. You expect your questions to be answered immediately, and are quite right in demanding this! We publish for you a compact guide to Euro-wide laws that affect transport transactions in the European Union and within the international world of transport. As an up-to-the-minute work that includes practical commentary on recent developments in legislation on the transport of goods by road and sea, it is an essential working tool for every professional. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE SPECIAL, LOW, PRE-PUBLICATION PRICE! The normal purchase price for "EUROPEAN TRANSPORT BY ROAD AND SEA" is 125 Euro. By ordering now, you can subscribe to this book, together with the periodical supplements, and benefit from a special pre-publication price of 95 Euro (V.A.T. and forwarding charges excluded).
CONTENTS Euro Transport by Land and Sea
1
SEA TRANSPORT
1.
Introduction .....................................................................................................4 1.1 1.2
2.
The Conventions in general ...................................................................4 Transport in particular ............................................................................6
The Bill of Lading............................................................................................7 2.1
General considerations ..........................................................................7 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3
2.2
The Bill of Lading .................................................................................17 2.2.1 2.2.2 2.2.3 2.2.4
2.3
Prior to departure....................................................................29 During the voyage...................................................................34
The liability of the ocean carrier ...........................................................38 2.4.1 2.4.2 2.4.3
3.
Definition and function of the Bill of Lading .............................17 Form and statement of the Bill of Lading ................................18 Probatory value of the Bill of Lading .......................................19 Competence clauses in the Bills of Lading .............................21
Rights and obligations of the Captain...................................................29 2.3.1 2.3.2
2.4
History.......................................................................................7 Legislation.................................................................................8 The Hague Roles or the Treaty of Brussels of 25/08/1924 .......8
Introduction .............................................................................38 Damage ..................................................................................40 Liability....................................................................................55
Charter Party .................................................................................................81 3.1
Background ..........................................................................................81 3.1.1 3.1.2
3.2
History in a nutshell ................................................................81 Developments in legislation ....................................................81
General terms ......................................................................................82 3.2.1 3.2.2 3.2.3
The charter .............................................................................82 The charter party and its legal aspects ...................................83 The charter party, the contract of carriage and the Bill of Lading.....................................................................................85
3
3.2.4 3.3
The Voyage Charter versus the Time Charter......................................89 3.3.1 3.3.2 3.3.3 3.3.4 3.3.5
3.4
Structure ................................................................................96 Explanation .............................................................................97
3.5
The GENCON form ............................................................................128
3.6
Time Chartering – Time Charter Party: the BALTIME ........................136 3.6.1 3.6.2
3.7
Part I of the Baltime charter party .........................................136 Part II of the Baltime charter party ........................................136
The BALTIME form ............................................................................145
The liability of the Captain .........................................................................151 4.1
Period of liability .................................................................................151 4.1.1 4.1.2 4.1.3 4.1.4 4.1.5
4.2
Introduction ...........................................................................151 The Hague-Visby Rules ........................................................151 Hamburg Rules.....................................................................153 A comparison between The Hague-Visby Rules and the Hamburg Rules.....................................................................154 Conclusion ............................................................................155
Liability ground ...................................................................................155 4.2.1 4.2.2 4.2.3 4.2.4 4.2.5
5.
Developments as far as charter types are concerned.............89 Developments in the field of maritime transportation and the demand for transport by sea .............................................89 Choosing between voyage charters or time charters..............91 Transport costs .......................................................................93 General survey .......................................................................95
Voyage Chartering – Voyage Charter Party: The GENCON ................96 3.4.1 3.4.2
4.
Types of charter parties ..........................................................87
Introduction ...........................................................................155 The carrier’s liability in The Hague-Visby Rules....................156 The carrier’s liability in the Hamburg Rules...........................157 A comparison between The Hague-Visby Rules and the Hamburg Rules.....................................................................160 Conclusion ............................................................................164
The Hamburg Rules ....................................................................................165 5.1
Damage..............................................................................................165
4
5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3 5.2
Delays ..............................................................................................174 5.2.1 5.2.2 5.2.3
5.3
Sector-wide limits..................................................................182 Limitation of transport ...........................................................182 “Violation� of the limitation.....................................................186 Consignment note clauses....................................................195
The Hamburg Rules and the EC ........................................................195 5.4.1 5.4.2 5.4.3
6.
The notion of delay in transport conventions ........................174 Delay and the Hamburg Rules..............................................175 Clauses concerning loading..................................................181
Limitation of liability ............................................................................182 5.3.1 5.3.2 5.3.3 5.3.4
5.4
Damage which is difficult to assess ......................................166 The calculation of loss ..........................................................168 Bill of lading clauses .............................................................172
Plans for alterations ..............................................................195 Adaptation of the Hamburg Rules.........................................197 Mechanism of change...........................................................197
Multi Modal Transport ................................................................................198 6.1
The container in general ....................................................................198 6.1.1 6.1.2 6.1.3 6.1.4 6.1.5 6.1.6
6.2
The container seen from a legal point of view ....................................220 6.2.1 6.2.2 6.2.3 6.2.4 6.2.5
6.3
Use the benefits and opportunities of efficient container packing ................................................................................198 Preparation for container packing .........................................198 Strains caused by container transport ..................................204 Securing cargo......................................................................207 Climatic protection ................................................................208 Advice on packing and securing various goods ....................211
Introduction ...........................................................................220 Are containers packing material?..........................................222 Is the container part of the vehicule? ....................................226 Is the container part of the vessel? .......................................228 Are containers a means for grouping, loading, stowage or transport?..............................................................................232
Combined Transport ..........................................................................235 6.3.1 6.3.2
Terminology in Combined Transport Movements .................235 P&O Nedlloyd export and import documentation ..................238
5
6.3.3 6.3.4 6.3.5 6.3.6 6.3.7
7.
Merchants’ checklist .............................................................247 Straight bills, waybills & electronic commerce ......................250 Bills of Lading .......................................................................259 International conventions and national laws relevant to combined transport ...............................................................278 Standard terms and conditions for national carriage in Europe ..................................................................................294
The Conventions.........................................................................................297 7.1
The Hague rules - the Brussels convention of 25 august 1224 ..........297
7.2
The Hague – Visby Rules...................................................................305
7.3
The Hamburg Rules ...........................................................................312 7.3.1 7.3.2 7.3.3 7.3.4 7.3.5
7.4
C.M.R. – Convention on the contract for the international carriage of goods by road ................................................................................332 7.4.1 7.4.2 7.4.3 7.4.4 7.4.5 7.4.6 7.4.7 7.4.8
7.5
General Provisions ...............................................................312 Liability of the carrier.............................................................314 Liability of the shipper ...........................................................319 Transport documents............................................................320 Claims and actions ...............................................................323
Scope of application .............................................................333 Persons for whom the carriers is responsible .......................334 Conclusion and performance of the contract of carriage.......334 Liability of the carrier.............................................................340 Claims and actions ...............................................................345 Provisions relating to carriage performed by successive carriers..................................................................................347 Nullity of stipulations contrary to of convention .....................349 Final provisions.....................................................................349
Warsaw Convention as amended at The Hague 1955.......................353
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ROAD TRANSPORT – C.M.R.
1.
Introduction .................................................................................................356
2.
Applicability of the C.M.R...........................................................................356 2.1
Applicability de juro ............................................................................356 2.1.1 2.1.2 2.1.3 2.1.4 2.1.5 2.1.6
2.2
The existence of a contract of carriage .................................356 The contract is concluded for valuable consideration ...........358 The agreement has the transport of goods as its subject .....358 The transport must be carried out by road ............................359 The transport has to happen by means of a vehicule ...........360 The transport has to happen from or to a contacting state....360
Conventional applicability...................................................................360
3.
Persons for whom the carrier is liable ......................................................361
4.
Conclusion and execution of the contract of carriage ............................361 4.1
Drawing up the way bill and stipulating its contents ...........................361 4.1.1 4.1.2 4.1.3
4.2
Reservation of the carrier ...................................................................364
4.3
Carrying out the contract of carriage ..................................................365 4.3.1 4.3.2 4.3.3
5.
Permanent stipulations .........................................................362 Occasional stipulations .........................................................362 Optional stipulations .............................................................363
Liabilty of the sender.............................................................365 Right to dispose of the goods ...............................................366 The delivery ..........................................................................367
Liability of the carrier .................................................................................370 5.1
Liability of the carrier with regard to loss or damage of the goods .....370 5.1.1 5.1.2 5.1.3
5.2
Presumption of liability ..........................................................370 General grounds for exemption ............................................371 Special grounds for exemption .............................................372
Providing evidence with regard to loss of and damage to goods .......376
7
5.3
6.
Amount of the damage in case of loss of, damage to or late delivery of the goods ..........................................................................377
Legal claims and claims outside the law ..................................................384 6.1
Reservations or protest ......................................................................384 6.1.1 6.1.2
Reservations of the C.M.R. addressee in the case of loss or damage to the goods ........................................................384 Reservation by the C.M.R. addressee in the case of delay ..387
6.2
Procedural law ...................................................................................387
6.3
Limitation............................................................................................388 6.3.1 6.3.2
One-Year limitation ...............................................................388 Suspension and interruption of the limitation ........................389
7.
Stipulations with regard to transport performed by succeeding road carriers ..............................................................................................391
8.
Nullity of conditions or clauses contrary to the treaty ............................392
8
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT
1.
Multimodal transport carrier liability and issues related to the Bills of Lading......................................................................................................396 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
2.
Multimodal transport carrier liability Germany ........................................434 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.3
3.
3.4 3.5
Introduction ........................................................................................457 The liability of the multimodal transport operator................................457 Documentation ...................................................................................461 Unification efforts ...............................................................................462
Multimodal transport carrier liability The Netherlands............................462 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4
6.
Introduction ........................................................................................446 Liability of Multimodal Transport Carrier.............................................448 Distinction between multimodal transport operator and freight forwarder ............................................................................................453 Documentation in multimodal transport..............................................454 Unification efforts ...............................................................................456
Multimodal transport carrier liability Japan .............................................457 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4
5.
Introduction ........................................................................................434 Definition ............................................................................................435 The legal position concerning questions of liability.............................435 Characteristics of the documents of multimodal transport with regard to the law relating to negotiable Instruments and other securities ............................................................................................444
Multimodal transport carrier liability Greece............................................446 3.1 3.2 3.3
4.
Basic Notions .....................................................................................396 The Liability of Multimodal Transport Operator ..................................409 Multimodal Transport Documentation ................................................422 Conclusion .........................................................................................432
Introduction ........................................................................................462 The liability of the multimodal carrier..................................................464 Documentation ...................................................................................469 Uniform efforts....................................................................................473
The current state of multimodal transport law in the U.K. ......................474 6.1 6.2 6.3
Introduction ........................................................................................474 Freight Forwarder – Agent or Principal? ............................................475 Unification efforts by the industry .......................................................478
9
6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 7.
Multimodal transportation: an American perspective on carrier liability and Bill of Lading ..........................................................................490 7.1 7.2 7.3
8.
BIFA Standard Trading Conditions.....................................................478 FIATA FBL negotiable multimodal Bill of Lading ................................481 Provisions for combined transport in unimodal Conventions..............484 The United Nations Convention on International multimodal transport 1980 – Its Future .................................................................485
Background ........................................................................................491 Carrier liability ....................................................................................495 Bills of Lading.....................................................................................501
The role of transport research...................................................................505 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5
Determinants of intermodal transport in the E.U. ...............................505 The demand for intermodal transport .................................................507 The supply-side of intermodal transport .............................................510 Enabling issues ..................................................................................514 The need for a research network on intermodal transport and logistics (Interact) ...............................................................................517 8.6 Analytical starting points: intermodal quality, market segments and terminals.............................................................................................520 8.7 Technological change and terminal performance ...............................524 8.8 Planning and financing of intermodal terminals ..................................527 8.9 The potential intermodal demand .......................................................529 8.10 Wisdom case ......................................................................................531
9.
Airport management and EC law...............................................................545 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 9.7 9.8 9.9
10.
Introduction.........................................................................................545 Essential facilities – the background...................................................545 The origins of the doctrine of essential facilities – the USA ................546 Essential facilities in EC law ...............................................................547 The importance of competition at both the aircraft services market as the airport services market ............................................................549 Airport – an essential facility...............................................................550 Obligations for firms controlling essential facilities .............................552 Public ownership ................................................................................554 Conclusion .........................................................................................554
Railway transport – the British example...................................................555 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7
Introduction ........................................................................................555 The position up to 1996......................................................................555 Privatisation........................................................................................556 Regulation post-privatisation ..............................................................557 Competition post-privatisation ............................................................557 Criticisms and problems encountered ................................................558 Changes since privatisation ...............................................................559
10
11.
The reform of Deutsche Bahn....................................................................560 11.1 Introduction ........................................................................................560 11.2 Background and contents of the reform .............................................560 11.3 The railway reorganisation act ...........................................................562 11.4 State of reform realisation ..................................................................565 11.5 Consequences and opportunities for private companies in freight transport .............................................................................................566 11.6 Conclusion..........................................................................................569
12.
The necessity of the operation of a “casualty” during the period of cargo insurance ..........................................................................................570 12.1 Dutch case law on art. 29 CMR ..........................................................573
13.
CMR – uninsured liabilities and risks .......................................................582
14.
Motor liability insurance in Europe ...........................................................590 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5
Introduction.........................................................................................590 Compulsory motor liability insurance ..................................................591 Supplementary motor insurance.........................................................597 The life of the motor insurance contract .............................................600 Information for insureds and settlement of disputes ...........................604
11