1. Trade between Member States may be affected where restrictive practices or abuses concern international maritime transport, including intra-Community transport, from or to Community ports; whereas such restrictive practices or abuses may influence competition, firstly, between ports in different Member States by altering their respective catchment areas, and secondly, between activities in those catchment areas, and disturb trade patterns within the common market.
2. Furthermore, the parties contend that the catchment area of the northern European ports covers Ireland, the UK, Austria, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, most of Germany, northern and central France, Portugal and northern Italy. Similarly that the Mediterranean catchment area covers, at least, southern and central France, Spain, Italy and Portugal.
