Vol. 442 No. 3
102 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Enterprise and Employment the legislation currently in place governing the relations and licence agreements between oil companies and licensed retailers; if the current regulations adequately protect the licensed retailers; and if he is considering changes to the legislation in this regard.
The European Communities (Commercial Agents) Regulations, 1994 give legal effect to the EU Council Directive 85/635/EEC on the co-ordination of the laws of member states relating to self-employed commercial agents. These regulations deal with the relationship between commercial agents and their principals and their respective rights and obligations.
Agreements between oil companies and their tied service station retailers concerning exclusive purchasing and supply terms of motor fuels are subject to the Competition Act, 1991. In July 1993 the competition authority granted a licence under section 4 (2) of the 1991 Act to a category of exclusive purchasing agreements in respect of motor fuels.
The authority's motor fuels category licence is the subject of judicial review proceedings in the High Court — ref. Judicial Review No. 242/1993 — and I consider that any further comment in the matter would be prejudicial to those proceedings.
