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European Commission Spokesman's Briefing for 98-06-04
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
04/06/98
CONTENTS / CONTENU
[01] Commission and US government boost transatlantic anti-trust
cooperation
[02] La Commission adopte la proposition relative � l'accord de coop�ration
entre l'UE et le Canada dans le domaine de la concurrence
[03] La Commission a approuv� l'acquisition par Tech Data de Computer 2000
[04] Commission welcomes Japan's accession to the Revised 1958 UN-ECE in
the automobile sector
[05] Y�men : la Commission approuve une aide alimentaire d'un montant de 1,
57 million d'Ecus
[06] Neil Kinnock urges better implementation of shipping safety standards
[01] Commission and US government boost transatlantic anti-trust
cooperation
(! embargo 8.30 pm !) The European Union (EU) and the Government of the
United States (US) today signed a new Agreement which constitutes an
important development in transatlantic competition relations. It
represents a commitment on the part of the EU and the US to cooperate with
respect to antitrust enforcement, rather than seeking to apply their
antitrust laws extraterritorially. The Agreement known as the 1998
"positive comity" agreement was signed - with immediate effect - in
Washington by the European Commissioner responsible for competition Karel
Van Miert, the US Attorney General Janet Reno and the Federal Trade
Commission Chairman Robert Pitofsky. The principle of "positive comity"
provides that when a Party is adversely affected by anticompetitive
behaviour occurring in the territory of the other Party, then it may
request that other Party to take action. Mergers are not within the scope
of the new Agreement due to EU and US merger legislation, which would not
allow a deferral or suspension of action as envisaged by the Agreement.
[02] La Commission adopte la proposition relative � l'accord de coop�ration
entre l'UE et le Canada dans le domaine de la concurrence
La Commission europ�enne a adopt� une proposition de d�cision commune du
Conseil des Ministres et de la Commission portant conclusion d'un accord
entre l'Union europ�enne et le gouvernement du Canada relatif �
l'application de leur droit de la concurrence. Le projet d'accord pr�voit
la notification des affaires dans lesquelles la Commission ou le Bureau
canadien de la concurrence m�nent une enqu�te et qui sont susceptibles
d'affecter les int�r�ts importants de l'autre partie. Cette proc�dure
permet de d�celer d�s le d�but les affaires qui pr�sentent un int�r�t
commun. Lorsque des int�r�ts importants pour les deux parties entrent en
jeu, celles-ci peuvent faire jouer les dispositions en mati�re de
coop�ration ou de coordination de l'accord.
[03] La Commission a approuv� l'acquisition par Tech Data de Computer 2000
La Commission europ�enne a approuv� l'acquisition par Tech Data de Computer
2000. Tech Data est un des plus grands distributeurs en gros de mat�riels
informatiques. Computer 2000 est aussi un grossiste de mat�riels
informatiques actif en Europe. Ce march� est caract�ris� par une
croissance rapide. Les distributeurs y sont expos�s � la concurrence des
producteurs pratiquant �galement la distribution directe. La Commission a
donc d�clar� l'op�ration compatibles avec le march� commun.
[04] Commission welcomes Japan's accession to the Revised 1958 UN-ECE in
the automobile sector
Sir Leon Brittan and Martin Bangemann, European Commissioners in charge of
Common commercial policy and Industry, welcomed the Japanese Diet's
(Parliament's) approval for Japan's accession to the Revised 1958 United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN-ECE) agreement in the Automobile
Sector. This agreement establishes uniform technical regulations for motor
vehicles, equipment and parts. It also sets up the conditions for
reciprocal recognition of approvals of the basis of technical regulations.
Mr Bangemann said : "Japan's accession to the Agreement represents a major
step forward. With increasing globalisation in the automobile industry,
international harmonisation in these fields is becoming ever more
important. Japan's accession to the agreement will help to avoid parallel
regulatory costs for manufacturers operating in international markets, and
will benefit European and Japanese consumers alike. The more regulations
that Japan takes over, the greater the benefit will be to all Contracting
Parties." On 24 March 1998, the European Union acceded to the UN-ECE
Agreement (see IP/98/271) and to 78 of the more than 100 regulations which
have been adopted since the Agreement's creation.
[05] Y�men : la Commission approuve une aide alimentaire d'un montant de 1,
57 million d'Ecus
La Commission europ�enne a approuv� une aide alimentaire d'un montant de 1,
57 million d'Ecus en faveur de r�fugi�s et de ressortissants du Y�men.
Cette aide, g�r�e par l'Office humanitaire de la Communaut� europ�enne
(ECHO), permettra � trois organisations non gouvernementales europ�ennes
d'ex�cuter un programme au cours des six mois � venir. Les projets
soutenus par ECHO fourniront une aide aux r�fugi�s somaliens et �rythr�ens
ainsi qu'aux y�m�nites rapatri�s de Somalie.
[06] Neil Kinnock urges better implementation of shipping safety standards
Neil Kinnock, European Commissioner responsible for Transport Policy, today
said shipping organisations should concentrate on implementing existing
safety standards rather than developing new regulations and urged the port
authorities to develop inspection systems that target better the potential
"problem ships". In a speech to the Quality Shipping Conference held in
Lisbon to coincide with the Expo, whose theme is "The Oceans - A Heritage
for the Future", Mr Kinnock said : "Part of the purpose of action in
pursuit of quality should be to close the cost gap between responsible
operators who comply with the rules and irresponsible companies with
substandard operations - not by reducing the performance of the best, but
by insisting by all legal means on better performance from those who are
inferior". He added : "It is clear that if port State control were
improved and better targeted - it would not only fulfil its purpose of
identifying and penalising serious deficiencies, it would also provide a
practical means of fostering higher standards". The Quality Shipping
Conference is part of the campaign the Commission launched in 1997 to
promote quality shipping in Europe to try and stem the loss of 1,000 lives
and 230 vessels a year.
MIDDAY EXPRESS
From EUROPA, the European Commission Server at http://europa.eu.int/
© ECSC - EC - EAEC, Brussels-Luxembourg, 1995, 1996
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