[Federal Register: November 22, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 226)]
[Notices]
[Page 70476-70477]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr22no02-129]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Trade Policy Staff Committee; Initiation of Environmental Review
of the U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Negotiations; Public Comments on Scope
of Environmental Review
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: This publication gives notice that, pursuant to the Trade Act
of 2002, and consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) (Nov.
18, 1999) and its implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442), the Office of
the United States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy
Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the
proposed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the United States and
Morocco. The TPSC is requesting written comments from the public on
what should be included in the scope of the environmental review,
including the potential environmental effects (both positive and
negative) that might flow from the free trade agreement, including the
potential implications for our environmental laws and regulations, and
identification of complementarities between trade and environmental
objectives such as the promotion of sustainable development. The TPSC
also welcomes public views on appropriate methodologies and sources of
data for conducting the review. Persons submitting written comments
should provide as much detail as possible on the degree to which the
subject matter they propose for inclusion in the review may raise
significant environmental issues in the context of the negotiation.
DATES: Public comments should be received no later than January 15,
2003.
ADDRESSES: Submissions by electronic mail: FR0054@ustr.gov.
Submissions by facsimile: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade
Policy Staff
Committee, at (202) 395-6143.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning
public comments, contact Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, TPSC, Office
of the USTR, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508, telephone (202)
395-3475. Questions concerning the environmental review should be
addressed to Jennifer Prescott, Office of Environment and Natural
Resources, USTR, telephone (202) 395-7320.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
1. Background Information
On October 1, 2002, in accordance with section 2104(a)(1) of the
Trade Act of 2002, the United States Trade Representative, Ambassador
Robert B. Zoellick, notified the Congress of the President's intent to
enter into trade negotiations with Morocco. Ambassador Zoellick
outlined the specific U.S. objectives for the Morocco FTA in the
notification to the Congress. The letters to House Speaker Dennis
Hastert and Senate President Pro Tempore Robert Byrd can be found on
the USTR Web site at http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2002/2002-10-01-
morocco-house.PDF and http://www.ustr.gov/releases/2002/2002-10-01-
morocco-senate.PDF, respectively. The TPSC has invited the public to
provide written comments and/or oral testimony at a public hearing
scheduled for November 21, 2002, to assist USTR in formulating
positions and proposals with respect to all aspects of the negotiations
(67 FR 63187) (Oct. 10, 2002).
The U.S.-Morocco FTA will build on the bilateral work that began in
1995 under the U.S.-Morocco Trade and Investment Framework Agreement
(TIFA). The U.S.-Morocco FTA will seek to eliminate duties and
unjustified barriers to trade in both U.S.- and Moroccan-origin goods
and also address trade in services, trade in agricultural products,
trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights, government
procurement, trade-related environmental and labor matters, and other
issues. The FTA is expected to contribute to stronger economies, the
rule of law, sustainable development, and more accountable institutions
of governance. The FTA will also help to
[[Page 70477]]
support and accelerate economic and political reforms already underway
in Morocco.
Over the past six years, U.S. exports to Morocco averaged $475
million annually, led by exports in the aircraft, cereals, and
machinery sectors. Morocco's average applied tariff is more than 20
percent. By comparison, U.S. tariffs on Moroccan exports to the United
States are already low or zero in many cases. Transistors,
semiconductors, phosphates, and other minerals, which make up a large
share of Moroccan exports to the United States, are already granted
duty-free entry.
2. Environmental Review
USTR, through the TPSC, will perform an environmental review of the
agreement pursuant to the Trade Act of 2002 and consistent with
Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) and its implementing guidelines (65
FR 79442).
Environmental reviews are used to identify potentially significant,
reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts (both positive and
negative), and information from the review can help facilitate
consideration of appropriate responses where impacts are identified.
Reviews address potential environmental impacts of the proposed
agreement and potential implications for environmental laws and
regulations. Determining the review's scope includes consideration of
the environmental dimensions of the regulatory and trade policies at
issue, including ways in which the trade agreement can complement U.S.
environmental objectives. The focus of the review is on impacts in the
United States, although global and transboundary impacts may be
considered, where appropriate and prudent.
3. Requirements for Submissions
In order to facilitate prompt processing of submissions, USTR
strongly urges and prefers electronic (e-mail) submissions in response
to this notice.
Persons making submissions by e-mail should use the following
subject line: ``United States-Morocco Environmental Review'' followed
by ``Written Comments.'' Documents should be submitted as either
WordPerfect, MSWord, or text (.TXT) files. Supporting documentation
submitted as spreadsheets are acceptable as Quattro Pro or Excel. For
any document containing business confidential information submitted
electronically, the file name of the business confidential version
should begin with the characters ``BC-'', and the file name of the
public version should begin with the characters ``P-''. The ``P-'' or
``BC-'' should be followed by the name of the submitter. Persons who
make submissions by e-mail should not provide separate cover letters;
information that might appear in a cover letter should be included in
the submission itself. To the extent possible, any attachments to the
submission should be included in the same file as the submission
itself, and not as separate files.
Written comments submitted in response to this request will be
placed in a file open to public inspection pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.5,
except business confidential information exempt from public inspection
in accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6. Business confidential information
submitted in accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6 must be clearly marked
``BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL'' at the top of each page, including any cover
letter or cover page, and must be accompanied by a nonconfidential
summary of the confidential information. All public documents and
nonconfidential summaries shall be available for public inspection in
the USTR Reading Room. The USTR Reading Room is open to the public, by
appointment only, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday. An appointment to review the file must be scheduled at
least 48 hours in advance and may be made by calling (202) 395-6186.
USTR also welcomes and will take into account the public comments
on environmental issues submitted in response to a previous notice--the
Federal Register Notice dated October 10, 2002 (67 FR 63187)--
requesting comments from the public to assist USTR in formulating
positions and proposals with respect to all aspects of the
negotiations, including environmental issues. These comments will also
be made available for public inspection.
General information concerning the Office of the United States
Trade Representative may be obtained by accessing its Internet Web site
(http://www.ustr.gov).
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 02-29692 Filed 11-21-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-P