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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-05-15
From: EUROPA, the European Commission Server at <http://europa.eu.int>
MIDDAY EXPRESS
News from the Spokesman's midday briefing
Nouvelles du rendez-vous de midi du Porte-Paroleb
15/05/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission approves acquisition by Koch of the oil refinery activities
of Euro-Splitter
[02] Accroître l'efficacité des contrôles dans la politique commune de la
pêche
[03] EU and Canada sign ground-breaking trade agreement
[04] ECU 3 million to support Montenegro
[01] Commission approves acquisition by Koch of the oil refinery activities
of Euro-Splitter
The European Commission decided to approve the acquisition by the US
corporation Koch, through its subsidiaries Koch HC Partnership BV and Koch
Trading International Inc., of the oil refinery activities of the US
company Aron and its Dutch subsidiary Euro-Splitter. Koch is engaged in
Europe in the supply and trading of crude and refined products, chemical
technology equipment and funds management. Euro-Splitter owns and operates
a plant for the distillation of condensate and for the refinement of crude
oil.
[02] Accroître l'efficacité des contrôles dans la politique commune de la
pêche
La Commission européenne a adopté des propositions de modifications au
Règlement relatif au régime de contrôle en matière de pêche, en vigueur
depuis 1993. Le but de ces modifications est double. D'une part, celui
d'accroître l'efficacité des contrôles tout au long de la filière de la
pêche, en limitant les charges induites pour les pêcheurs et les opérateurs
du secteur, d'autre part celui d'augmenter la transparence pour garantir
que les mesures de contrôle soient appliquées de la même manière dans tous
les pays de l'Union Européenne. Trois grands axes sous-tendent les
aménagements proposés : le développement des échanges d'information et de
la coopération entre les Etats membres et avec la Commission, le
renforcement des contrôles des navires des pays tiers qui pêchent dans les
eaux communautaires et le développement des contrôles après le débarquement
des captures. Cette modification réglementaire n'est qu'un des volets de
l'action nécessaire pour améliorer les contrôles en matière de pêche. La
Commission va présenter un plan d'actions détaillé pour les 3 années à
venir. A la fin de cette période, il conviendra d'évaluer les progrès
réalisés.
[03] EU and Canada sign ground-breaking trade agreement
The European Union (EU) and Canada have signed a ground-breaking agreement
to boost two-way trade - at the EU-Canada Summit in London. The Mutual
Recognition Agreement will encourage trade by allowing product testing and
certification to be undertaken in the exporting country instead of at
destination. Annual savings to operators in both Canada and the EU will
total at least ECU 40 million. The Summit was attended by the European
Commission President Jacques Santer, Vice President Sir Leon Brittan,
British Prime Minister Tony Blair (currently President of the European
Council) and Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. The wide-ranging
Summit agenda also examined ways to further liberalise bilateral trade
flows and coordination on key foreign policy issues.
[04] ECU 3 million to support Montenegro
A financing Agreement will be signed on 18 May, in Brussels, between Mr
Gunter Burghardt, Director-General of DG1A of the European Commission, and
Dr Miomir Mugoša, Minister for Labour and Social Welfare of the Government
of Montenegro. The Agreement, which consists of a contribution of ECU 3
million from the European Union (EU) towards outstanding social welfare
costs, is the implementation of the political decision of EU Foreign
Ministers, which was adopted on 30 April 1998, in the framework of the
Common Foreign and Security Policy. The contribution underpins EU support
for the political and economic reforms presently being undertaken by the
Government of Montenegro. The EU's ECU 3 million contribution will be used
to pay outstanding social welfare benefits, such as child support and
family benefit, maternity leave and allowances, benefits for veterans and
disabled persons, health insurance contributions and other such benefits.
Mr Burghardt and Dr Mugoša are available for press questions after the
signing at 9 a.m. at the Charlemagne Building (12th Floor).
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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