Request for Comments Concerning Compliance With Telecommunications Trade Agreements, 66563-66564 [E6-19295]
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Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 15, 2006 / Notices
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[FR Doc. 06–9216 Filed 11–13–06; 10:24 am]
BILLING CODE 7590–01–M
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning
Compliance With Telecommunications
Trade Agreements
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of request for public
comment and reply comment.
rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES1
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1377 of
the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C.
3106) (‘section 1377’), the Office of the
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:00 Nov 14, 2006
Jkt 211001
United States Trade Representative
(‘‘USTR’’) is reviewing and requests
comments on: The operation,
effectiveness, and implementation of
and compliance with the following
agreements regarding
telecommunications products and
services of the United States: the World
Trade Organization (‘‘WTO’’)
Agreement; the North American Free
Trade Agreement (‘‘NAFTA’’); U.S. free
trade agreements (‘‘FTAs’’) with
Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, and
Singapore; the Dominican RepublicCentral America-United States Free
Trade Agreement (‘‘CAFTA–DR’’); and
any other FTA or telecommunications
trade agreement coming into force on or
before January 1, 2007. The USTR will
conclude the review by March 31, 2007.
DATES: Comments are due by noon on
December 15, 2006 and Reply
Comments by noon on January 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Gloria Blue, Executive
Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee,
Attn: Section 1377 Comments, Office of
the United States Trade Representative,
1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC
20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Catherine Hinckley, Office of Industry,
Market Access, and
Telecommunications (202) 395–9539; or
Amy Karpel, Office of the General
Counsel (202) 395–3150.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section
1377 requires the USTR to review
annually the operations and
effectiveness of all U.S. trade
agreements regarding
telecommunications products and
services of the United States that are in
force with respect to the United States.
The purpose of the review is to
determine whether any act, policy, or
practice of a country that has entered
into an FTA or other
telecommunications trade agreement
with the United States is inconsistent
with the terms of such agreement or
otherwise denies U.S. firms, within the
context of the terms of such agreements,
mutually advantageous market
opportunities. For the current review,
the USTR seeks comments on:
(1) Whether any WTO member is
acting in a manner that is inconsistent
with its obligations under WTO
agreements affecting market
opportunities for telecommunications
products or services, e.g., the WTO
General Agreement on Trade in Services
(‘‘GATS’’), including the Annex on
Telecommunications and any scheduled
commitments including the Reference
Paper on Pro-Competitive Regulatory
Principles;
PO 00000
Frm 00068
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
66563
(2) Whether Canada or Mexico has
failed to comply with its
telecommunications obligations under
the NAFTA;
(3) Whether El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras or Nicaragua have failed to
comply with their telecommunications
obligations under the CAFTA–DR;
(4) Whether Australia, Bahrain, Chile,
Morocco, Singapore, or any other
country for which an FTA with the
United States has entered into force on
or before January 1, 2007, has failed to
comply with its telecommunications
obligations under the respective FTA
between the United States and that
country (see https://www.ustr.gov/
Trade_Agreements/Section_Index.html
for U.S. FTAs);
(5) Whether any country has failed to
comply with its obligations under
telecommunications trade agreements
with the United States other than FTAs,
e.g., Mutual Recognition Agreements
(MRAs) for Conformity Assessment of
Telecommunications Equipment (see
https://www.tcc.mac.doc.gov for a
collection of trade agreements,
including ones related to
telecommunications);
(6) Whether any act, policy, or
practice of a country cited in a previous
section 1377 review remains unresolved
(see https://www.ustr.gov/Trade_Sectors/
Telecom-E-commerce/Section_1377/
Section_Index.html for the 2005
review); and
(7) Whether any measures or practices
impede access to telecommunications
markets or otherwise deny
telecommunications products and
services of the United States market
opportunities with respect to any
country that is a WTO member or for
which an FTA or telecommunications
trade agreement has entered into force
between such country and the United
States. Measures or practices of interest
include, for example, prohibitions on
voice over the Internet (VOIP) services;
blocking of web sites or web-based
services accessed through public
telecommunications services that affect
services for which a WTO member or
FTA partner has commitments; and
requirements for access or use of
networks that limit the products or
services U.S. suppliers can offer in
specific markets.
Public Comment and Reply Comment:
Requirements for Submission
All comments must be in English,
identify on the first page of the
comments the telecommunications trade
agreement(s) discussed therein, and be
submitted by noon on December 15,
2006. Reply comments must also be in
English and be submitted by noon on
E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM
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rmajette on PROD1PC67 with NOTICES1
66564
Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 220 / Wednesday, November 15, 2006 / Notices
January 16, 2007. Reply comments
should only address issues raised by the
comments.
In order to ensure the most timely and
expeditious receipt and consideration of
comments and reply comments, USTR
has arranged to accept submissions in
electronic format (e-mail). Comments
should be submitted electronically to
FR0502@ustr.eop.gov. An automatic
reply confirming receipt of an e-mail
submission will be sent. E-mail
submissions in Microsoft Word or Corel
WordPerfect are preferred. If a word
processing application other than those
two is used, please identify in your
submission the specific application
used. For any comments submitted
electronically containing business
confidential information, the file name
of the business confidential version
should begin with the characters ‘‘BC’’.
Any page containing business
confidential information must be clearly
marked ‘‘BUSINESS CONFIDENTIAL’’
on the top of that page. Filers of
submissions containing business
confidential information must also
submit a public version of their
comments. The file name of the public
version should begin with the character
‘‘P’’. The ‘‘BC’’ and ‘‘P’’ should be
followed by the name of the person or
entity submitting the comments or reply
comments. Filers submitting comments
containing no business confidential
information should name their file using
the character ‘‘P’’, followed by the name
of the person or entity submitting the
comments or reply comments.
Electronic submissions should not
contain separate cover letters; rather,
information that might appear in a cover
letter should be included in the
submission itself. Similarly, to the
extent possible, any attachments to a
submission should be included in the
same file as the submission itself and
not as separate files. All nonconfidential comments and reply
comments will be placed on the USTR
Web site, https://www.USTR.gov, and in
the USTR Reading Room for inspection
shortly after the filing deadline, except
business confidential information
exempt from public inspection in
accordance with 15 CFR 2003.6.
We strongly urge submitters to avail
themselves of the electronic filing, if at
all possible. If an e-mail submission is
impossible, the submitter must deliver
15 copies of both the business
confidential and the public versions via
private commercial courier along with a
diskette containing a copy of the
business confidential and public version
of the submission. Arrangements must
be made with Ms. Blue prior to delivery
for the receipt of such submissions. Ms.
VerDate Aug<31>2005
15:00 Nov 14, 2006
Jkt 211001
Blue should be contacted at (202) 395–
3475.
An appointment to review any
comments and reply comments filed
may be made by calling the USTR
Reading Room at (202) 395–6186. The
USTR Reading Room is open to the
public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through
Friday, and is located in Room 3 of 1724
F Street, NW.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E6–19295 Filed 11–14–06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190–W7–P
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AGENCY:
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202–326–4223 x3727, or Lori Bledsoe,
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cannot be run effectively if those
agencies practice or tolerate
discrimination.’’ [Pub. L. 107–174, Title
I, General Provisions, section 101(1).]
The Act also requires the PBGC to
provide this notice to Federal
employees, former federal employees
and applicants for Federal employment
to inform them of the rights and
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protections available under Federal
antidiscrimination and whistleblower
protection laws. In addition, the Act
requires agencies to train all of its
employees about the rights and
remedies available to them under
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U.S.C. 633a, 29 U.S.C. 791 and 42 U.S.C.
2000e–16.
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victim of unlawful discrimination on
the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin or disability, you must
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Opportunity (EEO) counselor or the EEO
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See, e.g., 29 CFR part 1614. If you
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information below). In the alternative
(or in some cases, in addition), you may
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E:\FR\FM\15NON1.SGM
15NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 15, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66563-66564]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-19295]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
Request for Comments Concerning Compliance With
Telecommunications Trade Agreements
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of request for public comment and reply comment.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Pursuant to section 1377 of the Omnibus Trade and
Competitiveness Act of 1988 (19 U.S.C. 3106) (`section 1377'), the
Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is
reviewing and requests comments on: The operation, effectiveness, and
implementation of and compliance with the following agreements
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United
States: the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') Agreement; the North
American Free Trade Agreement (``NAFTA''); U.S. free trade agreements
(``FTAs'') with Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, and Singapore; the
Dominican Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement
(``CAFTA-DR''); and any other FTA or telecommunications trade agreement
coming into force on or before January 1, 2007. The USTR will conclude
the review by March 31, 2007.
DATES: Comments are due by noon on December 15, 2006 and Reply Comments
by noon on January 16, 2007.
ADDRESSES: Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff
Committee, Attn: Section 1377 Comments, Office of the United States
Trade Representative, 1724 F Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Catherine Hinckley, Office of
Industry, Market Access, and Telecommunications (202) 395-9539; or Amy
Karpel, Office of the General Counsel (202) 395-3150.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 1377 requires the USTR to review
annually the operations and effectiveness of all U.S. trade agreements
regarding telecommunications products and services of the United States
that are in force with respect to the United States. The purpose of the
review is to determine whether any act, policy, or practice of a
country that has entered into an FTA or other telecommunications trade
agreement with the United States is inconsistent with the terms of such
agreement or otherwise denies U.S. firms, within the context of the
terms of such agreements, mutually advantageous market opportunities.
For the current review, the USTR seeks comments on:
(1) Whether any WTO member is acting in a manner that is
inconsistent with its obligations under WTO agreements affecting market
opportunities for telecommunications products or services, e.g., the
WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services (``GATS''), including the
Annex on Telecommunications and any scheduled commitments including the
Reference Paper on Pro-Competitive Regulatory Principles;
(2) Whether Canada or Mexico has failed to comply with its
telecommunications obligations under the NAFTA;
(3) Whether El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras or Nicaragua have
failed to comply with their telecommunications obligations under the
CAFTA-DR;
(4) Whether Australia, Bahrain, Chile, Morocco, Singapore, or any
other country for which an FTA with the United States has entered into
force on or before January 1, 2007, has failed to comply with its
telecommunications obligations under the respective FTA between the
United States and that country (see https://www.ustr.gov/Trade_
Agreements/Section_Index.html for U.S. FTAs);
(5) Whether any country has failed to comply with its obligations
under telecommunications trade agreements with the United States other
than FTAs, e.g., Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs) for Conformity
Assessment of Telecommunications Equipment (see https://
www.tcc.mac.doc.gov for a collection of trade agreements, including
ones related to telecommunications);
(6) Whether any act, policy, or practice of a country cited in a
previous section 1377 review remains unresolved (see https://
www.ustr.gov/Trade_Sectors/Telecom-E-commerce/Section_
1377/Section_Index.html for the 2005 review); and
(7) Whether any measures or practices impede access to
telecommunications markets or otherwise deny telecommunications
products and services of the United States market opportunities with
respect to any country that is a WTO member or for which an FTA or
telecommunications trade agreement has entered into force between such
country and the United States. Measures or practices of interest
include, for example, prohibitions on voice over the Internet (VOIP)
services; blocking of web sites or web-based services accessed through
public telecommunications services that affect services for which a WTO
member or FTA partner has commitments; and requirements for access or
use of networks that limit the products or services U.S. suppliers can
offer in specific markets.
Public Comment and Reply Comment: Requirements for Submission
All comments must be in English, identify on the first page of the
comments the telecommunications trade agreement(s) discussed therein,
and be submitted by noon on December 15, 2006. Reply comments must also
be in English and be submitted by noon on
[[Page 66564]]
January 16, 2007. Reply comments should only address issues raised by
the comments.
In order to ensure the most timely and expeditious receipt and
consideration of comments and reply comments, USTR has arranged to
accept submissions in electronic format (e-mail). Comments should be
submitted electronically to FR0502@ustr.eop.gov. An automatic reply
confirming receipt of an e-mail submission will be sent. E-mail
submissions in Microsoft Word or Corel WordPerfect are preferred. If a
word processing application other than those two is used, please
identify in your submission the specific application used. For any
comments submitted electronically containing business confidential
information, the file name of the business confidential version should
begin with the characters ``BC''. Any page containing business
confidential information must be clearly marked ``BUSINESS
CONFIDENTIAL'' on the top of that page. Filers of submissions
containing business confidential information must also submit a public
version of their comments. The file name of the public version should
begin with the character ``P''. The ``BC'' and ``P'' should be followed
by the name of the person or entity submitting the comments or reply
comments. Filers submitting comments containing no business
confidential information should name their file using the character
``P'', followed by the name of the person or entity submitting the
comments or reply comments. Electronic submissions should not contain
separate cover letters; rather, information that might appear in a
cover letter should be included in the submission itself. Similarly, to
the extent possible, any attachments to a submission should be included
in the same file as the submission itself and not as separate files.
All non-confidential comments and reply comments will be placed on the
USTR Web site, https://www.USTR.gov, and in the USTR Reading Room for
inspection shortly after the filing deadline, except business
confidential information exempt from public inspection in accordance
with 15 CFR 2003.6.
We strongly urge submitters to avail themselves of the electronic
filing, if at all possible. If an e-mail submission is impossible, the
submitter must deliver 15 copies of both the business confidential and
the public versions via private commercial courier along with a
diskette containing a copy of the business confidential and public
version of the submission. Arrangements must be made with Ms. Blue
prior to delivery for the receipt of such submissions. Ms. Blue should
be contacted at (202) 395-3475.
An appointment to review any comments and reply comments filed may
be made by calling the USTR Reading Room at (202) 395-6186. The USTR
Reading Room is open to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1
p.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and is located in Room 3 of 1724
F Street, NW.
Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. E6-19295 Filed 11-14-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W7-P
