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DEPARTMENTAL
REGULATION
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Number: 1042-068 |
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SUBJECT: Agricultural Advisory Committees For Trade – APAC and ATACs |
DATE: May 22, 2007 |
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OPI: |
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1 PURPOSE
The Secretary of Agriculture
after consultation with the U.S. Trade Representative on the need for a Trade
Representatives Agriculture Advisory program, hereby recharters the following
advisory committees on trade (hereinafter the “Committees”):
a The Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) for Trade;
and
b The Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees (ATACs) for
Trade, consisting of six ATACs for Trade in the following commodity groups: 1)
Animals and Animal Products; 2) Fruits and Vegetables; 3) Grains, Feed and
Oilseeds; 4) Sweeteners and Sweetener Products; 5) Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts,
and Planting Seeds; and 6) Processed Foods.
These Committees are
authorized by Sections 135(c)(1) and (2) of the Trade Act of 1974 (Pub. L. No.
93-618), as amended. They are intended
to ensure that representative elements of the private sector have an
opportunity to provide their views on trade and trade policy matters to the
U.S. government. The Committees provide
the formal mechanism through which the U.S. government may seek advice and
information from the private sector.
The renewal of these Committees is in the public interest in connection
with the work of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of
the U.S. Trade Representative. No other
agencies or existing advisory committees supply this private sector advice
regarding agricultural trade.
2 SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS/CANCELLATION
a Each Committee will terminate four years from the date of
filing, unless terminated earlier or renewed by proper authority and
appropriate action.
b Departmental Regulation 1042-68, dated April 2005, is hereby
superseded.
3 OFFICERS AND
MEMBERSHIP
a The APAC and each ATAC shall consist of approximately 35
members.
b Members of each Committee shall be appointed jointly by the
Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative. Members should have expertise and knowledge
of agricultural trade as it relates to policy and commodity specific products. The members will normally come from entities
with an interest in agriculture, and will serve in a representative capacity
presenting the views and interests of U.S. entities that have interests in the subject matters of the
committee. Membership shall be balanced
and of sufficient size to be reasonably representative of the various
agricultural interests of U.S. organizations and persons interested in the
respective agricultural commodities. Equal opportunity practices, in line with
USDA and USTR policies, will be followed in all appointments to these
committees. To ensure that the recommendations
of each Committee have taken into account the needs of the diverse groups
served by the USDA and the USTR, membership should include, to the extent
practicable, individuals with demonstrated ability to represent minorities, women
and persons with disabilities. Members
will serve at the discretion of the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade
Representative.
c The APAC shall elect a Chairperson from its membership. The Deputy Administrator for the Office of Negotiations and Agreements, Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS), USDA, and the Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Intergovernmental Affairs and Public Liaison, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, shall administer the agricultural trade advisory committees through their Designated Federal Officers (DFO).
d Each ATAC shall elect a Chairperson from its membership. Each
Committee shall have a DFO. Each
Committee shall not conduct any meetings in the absence of this DFO or his or
her designee, and such DFO may adjourn the meeting when he or she determines it
to be in the public interest.
4 DUTIES
The Committees will advise
the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative concerning the
following: negotiating objectives and
bargaining positions before entering into a trade agreement; the operation of
an agreement once entered into; and, other matters arising in connection with
the administration of the trade policy of the United States.
At the conclusion of negotiations for each trade agreement entered
into under the Trade Act of 1974, each Committee affected is required by law to
provide a report on such agreement to the President, to Congress, and to the
U.S. Trade Representative.
5 NUMBER AND
FREQUENCY OF MEETINGS
Members of the Committees will serve without reimbursement
of travel expenses or per diem allowances.
Meetings of the Committees
will be held as often as the Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade
Representative deem necessary. Meetings
of these Committees will be open to the public in accordance with Section
135(f)(2) of the Trade Act of 1974 unless otherwise determined that meetings
will be concerned with matters the disclosure of which would seriously
compromise the development by U.S. Government of trade policy, priorities,
negotiation objectives or bargaining positions.
6 REPORTS/SUPPORT
The Committees will, at the
conclusion of negotiations of a trade agreement, report on that agreement to
the President, to the Congress, and to the U.S. Trade Representative. The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service will
furnish administrative support for the operations of the Committees.
7 ESTIMATED ANNUAL OPERATING COSTS
Set forth the estimated
annual operating cost for the Committees is approximately $14,000 per year, per
committee.
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