Article considérant 322

(322) Cette uniformité des taux de fret facturés par les membres de chaque Conférence maritime est essentielle pour qu'il y ait une conférence au sens du Code et par conséquent du règlement (CEE) n° 4056/86. Une telle exigence est largement reconnue par la doctrine relative aux conférences maritimes ainsi qu'en attestent les quelques extraits suivants: - «The purpose of a shipping Conference is the self-regulation of price competition primarily through the establishment of uniform freight rates and terms and conditions of service between the member shipping lines» (120), - «The first and foremost item in the Conference contract is the agreement to charge uniform freight rates (. . .)» (121). - «Liner Conferences or rings . . . consist of groups of liner shipping companies who have combined together since 1875 to exclude competition in the trade in which they operate (. . .). They charge uniform freight rates, they distribute sailings (. . .)» (122). - «We have (. . .) given some account of the agreements and understanding existing between the lines carrying from the United Kingdom and the Continent under which the same rates are charged on similar articles» (123). - «The guarantee of uniform rates lies chiefly in the fact that the Conference system is based on an agreement among the lines to charge the same rate of freight» (124).