SLOVENE MINISTRY CONFIRMS RECEIPT OF NEW CRO REGULATIONS ON ROAD OIL TRANSPORT

LJUBLJANA, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Slovene Foreign Ministry on Thursday confirmed receipt of official information on new regulations on the transit of oil products through Croatia, however, too late for the Slovene government to discuss it at today's session. The Slovene news agency STA reported the regulations specified eight border crossings which hauliers will be able to use while transporting oil through Croatia. Under the new regulations, oil cisterns will have to use only specified road corridors, the agency said. According to the same source, the Slovene government was acquainted with the content of the regulations at today's session, and described them as "discriminatory and unacceptable". Counter- measures were not taken because the government did not have official information at the time, the agency reported. Slovenia will continue contesting the regulations before international organisations. The Slovene media have reported that the Slovene Ministry of Environmental Protection had been informed by the Brussels-based Energy Charter Secretariat that it had considered Slovenia's complaint regarding the Croatian regulations and that it would contact Croatian authorities with regard to the issue. The World Trade Organisation's (WTO) Council for Trade in Goods in Geneva will hold a session on February 11, at which it will also discuss Slovenia's complaint to the Croatian regulations. Slovene government spokeswoman Alja Brglez said today the authorities in Ljubljana had requested its mission at the United Nations to file a complaint against the Croatian measures with the U.N. Economic Commission in Geneva. Slovenia believes that by adopting said regulations Croatia has violated the European agreement on the road transport of hazardous substances, the Slovene news agency reported. (hina) rml