North American Free Trade Agreement; Invitation for Applications for Inclusion on the Chapter 19 Roster, 65769-65771 [E7-22807]
Download as PDF
<![CDATA[
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 225 / Friday, November 23, 2007 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
Fleetwood (tonia.fleetwood@usdoj.gov),
fax no: (202) 514–0097, phone
confirmation number (202) 514–1547. In
requesting a copy from the Consent
Decree Library, please enclose a check
in the amount of $6.25 (25 cents per
page reproduction cost) payable to the
U.S. Treasury or, if by e-mail or fax,
forward a check in that amount to the
Consent Decree Library at the stated
address.
Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree
Under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act
Henry Friedman,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental
Enforcement Section, Environment and
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 07–5786 Filed 11–21–07; 8:45 am]
amount to the Consent Decree Library at
the stated address.
Henry S. Friedman,
Assistant Section Chief, Environmental
Enforcement Section, Environment and
Natural Resources Division.
[FR Doc. 07–5785 Filed 11–21–07; 8:45 am]
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
BILLING CODE 4410–15–M
Notice is hereby given that on
November 2, 2007, a proposed Consent
Decree in United States v. County of
San Bernardino, California, Civil Action
No. 5:07–cv–01454–SGL–op, was
lodged with the United States District
Court for the Central District of
California.
The Consent Decree settles claims
under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act, 42
U.S.C. 9207, in connection with the
Newmark Groundwater Contamination
Superfund Site in San Bernardino
County, California. Under the Consent
Decree the County will pay $11 million
to settle the United States’ claims for
past and future response costs.
The Department of Justice will
receive, for a period of thirty (30) days
from the date of this publication,
comments relating to the Consent
Decree. Comments should be addressed
to the Assistant Attorney General,
Environment and Natural Resources
Division, and either e-mailed to
pubcomment-ees.enrd@usdoj.gov or
mailed to P.O. Box 7611, U.S.
Department of Justice, Washington, DC
20044–7611, and should refer to United
States v. County of San Bernardino,
California, D.J. Ref. #90–11–06902/2.
Commenters may request an
opportunity for a public meeting in the
affected area, in accordance with section
7003(d) of the Resource Conservation
and Recovery Act, 42 U.S.C. 6973(d).
The Consent Decree may be examined
at U.S. EPA Region 9, Office of Regional
Counsel, 75 Hawthorne Street, San
Francisco, California 94105. During the
public comment period, the Consent
Decree may also be examined on the
following Department of Justice Web
site, at: https://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/
ConsentlDecrees.html. A copy of the
Consent Decree may also be obtained by
mail from the Consent Decree Library,
P.O. Box 7611, U.S. Department of
Justice, Washington, DC 20044–7611 or
by faxing or e-mailing a request to Tonia
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Nov 21, 2007
Jkt 214001
BILLING CODE 4410–15–M
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES
TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
North American Free Trade
Agreement; Invitation for Applications
for Inclusion on the Chapter 19 Roster
Office of the United States
Trade Representative.
ACTION: Invitation for applications.
AGENCY:
SUMMARY: Chapter 19 of the North
American Free Trade Agreement
(‘‘NAFTA’’) provides for the
establishment of a roster of individuals
to serve on binational panels convened
to review final determinations in
antidumping or countervailing duty
(‘‘AD/CVD’’) proceedings and
amendments to AD/CVD statutes of a
NAFTA Party. The United States
annually renews its selections for the
Chapter 19 roster. Applications are
invited from eligible individuals
wishing to be included on the roster for
the period April 1, 2008, through March
31, 2009.
DATES: Applications should be received
no later than December 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Applications should be
submitted (i) electronically, to
FR0801@ustr.eop.gov, Attn: ‘‘Chapter 19
Roster Applications’’ in the subject line,
or (ii) by fax to Sandy McKinzy at 202–
395–3640.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J.
Daniel Stirk, Assistant General Counsel,
Office of the United States Trade
Representative, (202) 395–9617.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Binational Panel Reviews Under
NAFTA Chapter 19
Article 1904 of the NAFTA provides
that a party involved in an AD/CVD
proceeding may obtain review by a
binational panel of a final AD/CVD
determination of one NAFTA Party with
respect to the products of another
PO 00000
Frm 00072
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65769
NAFTA Party. Binational panels decide
whether such AD/CVD determinations
are in accordance with the domestic
laws of the importing NAFTA Party, and
must use the standard of review that
would have been applied by a domestic
court of the importing NAFTA Party. A
panel may uphold the AD/CVD
determination, or may remand it to the
national administering authority for
action not inconsistent with the panel’s
decision. Panel decisions may be
reviewed in specific circumstances by a
three-member extraordinary challenge
committee, selected from a separate
roster composed of fifteen current or
former judges.
Article 1903 of the NAFTA provides
that a NAFTA Party may refer an
amendment to the AD/CVD statutes of
another NAFTA Party to a binational
panel for a declaratory opinion as to
whether the amendment is inconsistent
with the General Agreement on Tariffs
and Trade (‘‘GATT’’), the GATT
Antidumping or Subsidies Codes,
successor agreements, or the object and
purpose of the NAFTA with regard to
the establishment of fair and predictable
conditions for the liberalization of trade.
If the panel finds that the amendment is
inconsistent, the two NAFTA Parties
shall consult and seek to achieve a
mutually satisfactory solution.
Chapter 19 Roster and Composition of
Binational Panels
Annex 1901.2 of the NAFTA provides
for the maintenance of a roster of at least
75 individuals for service on Chapter 19
binational panels, with each NAFTA
Party selecting at least 25 individuals. A
separate five-person panel is formed for
each review of a final AD/CVD
determination or statutory amendment.
To form a panel, the two NAFTA Parties
involved each appoint two panelists,
normally by drawing upon individuals
from the roster. If the Parties cannot
agree upon the fifth panelist, one of the
Parties, decided by lot, selects the fifth
panelist from the roster. The majority of
individuals on each panel must consist
of lawyers in good standing, and the
chair of the panel must be a lawyer.
Upon each request for establishment
of a panel, roster members from the two
involved NAFTA Parties will be
requested to complete a disclosure form,
which will be used to identify possible
conflicts of interest or appearances
thereof. The disclosure form requests
information regarding financial interests
and affiliations, including information
regarding the identity of clients of the
roster member and, if applicable, clients
of the roster member’s firm.
E:\FR\FM\23NON1.SGM
23NON1
65770
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 225 / Friday, November 23, 2007 / Notices
Criteria for Eligibility for Inclusion on
Chapter 19 Roster
Section 402 of the NAFTA
Implementation Act (Pub. L. 103–182,
as amended (19 U.S.C. 3432)) (‘‘Section
402’’) provides that selections by the
United States of individuals for
inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster are to
be based on the eligibility criteria set
out in Annex 1901.2 of the NAFTA, and
without regard to political affiliation.
Annex 1901.2 provides that Chapter 19
roster members must be citizens of a
NAFTA Party, must be of good character
and of high standing and repute, and are
to be chosen strictly on the basis of their
objectivity, reliability, sound judgment,
and general familiarity with
international trade law. Aside from
judges, roster members may not be
affiliated with any of the three NAFTA
Parties. Section 402 also provides that,
to the fullest extent practicable, judges
and former judges who meet the
eligibility requirements should be
selected.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Adherence to the NAFTA Code of
Conduct for Binational Panelists
The ‘‘Code of Conduct for Dispute
Settlement Procedures Under Chapters
19 and 20’’ (see https://www.nafta-secalena.org/DefaultSite/
index_e.aspx?DetailID=246), which was
established pursuant to Article 1909 of
the NAFTA, provides that current and
former Chapter 19 roster members
‘‘shall avoid impropriety and the
appearance of impropriety and shall
observe high standards of conduct so
that the integrity and impartiality of the
dispute settlement process is
preserved.’’ The Code also provides that
candidates to serve on chapter 19
panels, as well as those who are
ultimately selected to serve as panelists,
have an obligation to ‘‘disclose any
interest, relationship or matter that is
likely to affect [their] impartiality or
independence, or that might reasonably
create an appearance of impropriety or
an apprehension of bias.’’ Annex 1901.2
of the NAFTA provides that roster
members may engage in other business
while serving as panelists, subject to the
Code of Conduct and provided that such
business does not interfere with the
performance of the panelist’s duties. In
particular, Annex 1901.2 states that
‘‘[w]hile acting as a panelist, a panelist
may not appear as counsel before
another panel.’’
Procedures for Selection of Chapter 19
Roster Members
Section 402 establishes procedures for
the selection by the Office of the United
States Trade Representative (‘‘USTR’’) of
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Nov 21, 2007
Jkt 214001
the individuals chosen by the United
States for inclusion on the Chapter 19
roster. The roster is renewed annually,
and applies during the one-year period
beginning April 1 of each calendar year.
Under section 402, an interagency
committee chaired by USTR prepares a
preliminary list of candidates eligible
for inclusion on the Chapter 19 Roster.
After consultation with the Senate
Committee on Finance and the House
Committee on Ways and Means, USTR
selects the final list of individuals
chosen by the United States for
inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster.
Remuneration
Roster members selected for service
on a Chapter 19 binational panel will be
remunerated at the rate of 800 Canadian
dollars per day.
Applications
Eligible individuals who wish to be
included on the Chapter 19 roster for
the period April 1, 2008, through March
31, 2009, are invited to submit
applications. Persons submitting
applications may either send one copy
by fax to Sandy McKinzy at 202–395–
3640, or transmit a copy electronically
to FR0801@ustr.eop.gov, with ‘‘Chapter
19 Roster Applications’’ in the subject
line. USTR encourages the submission
of documents in Adobe PDF format, as
attachments to an electronic mail.
Interested persons who make
submissions by electronic mail should
not provide separate cover letters;
information that might appear in a cover
letter should be included in the
submission itself. Similarly, 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.
Applications must be typewritten,
and should be headed ‘‘Application for
Inclusion on NAFTA Chapter 19
Roster.’’ Applications should include
the following information, and each
section of the application should be
numbered as indicated:
1. Name of the applicant.
2. Business address, telephone
number, fax number, and e-mail
address.
3. Citizenship(s).
4. Current employment, including
title, description of responsibility, and
name and address of employer.
5. Relevant education and
professional training.
6. Spanish language fluency, written
and spoken.
7. Post-education employment
history, including the dates and
addresses of each prior position and a
summary of responsibilities.
PO 00000
Frm 00073
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
8. Relevant professional affiliations
and certifications, including, if any,
current bar memberships in good
standing.
9. A list and copies of publications,
testimony, and speeches, if any,
concerning AD/CVD law. Judges or
former judges should list relevant
judicial decisions. Only one copy of
publications, testimony, speeches, and
decisions need be submitted.
10. Summary of any current and past
employment by, or consulting or other
work for, the Governments of the United
States, Canada, or Mexico.
11. The names and nationalities of all
foreign principals for whom the
applicant is currently or has previously
been registered pursuant to the Foreign
Agents Registration Act, 22 U.S.C. 611
et seq., and the dates of all registration
periods.
12. List of proceedings brought under
U.S., Canadian, or Mexican AD/CVD
law regarding imports of U.S., Canadian,
or Mexican products in which the
applicant advised or represented (for
example, as consultant or attorney) any
U.S., Canadian, or Mexican party to
such proceeding and, for each such
proceeding listed, the name and country
of incorporation of such party.
13. A short statement of qualifications
and availability for service on Chapter
19 panels, including information
relevant to the applicant’s familiarity
with international trade law and
willingness and ability to make time
commitments necessary for service on
panels.
14. On a separate page, the names,
addresses, telephone and fax numbers of
three individuals willing to provide
information concerning the applicant’s
qualifications for service, including the
applicant’s character, reputation,
reliability, judgment, and familiarity
with international trade law.
Current Roster Members and Prior
Applicants
Current members of the Chapter 19
roster who remain interested in
inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster must
submit updated applications.
Individuals who have previously
applied but have not been selected may
reapply. If an applicant, including a
current or former roster member, has
previously submitted materials referred
to in item 9, such materials need not be
resubmitted.
Public Disclosure
Applications normally will not be
subject to public disclosure. They may
be referred to other federal agencies in
the course of determining eligibility for
the roster, and shared with foreign
E:\FR\FM\23NON1.SGM
23NON1
Federal Register / Vol. 72, No. 225 / Friday, November 23, 2007 / Notices
governments and the NAFTA Secretariat
in the course of panel selection.
False Statements
Pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the
NAFTA Implementation Act, false
statements by applicants regarding their
personal or professional qualifications,
or financial or other relevant interests
that bear on the applicants’ suitability
for placement on the Chapter 19 roster
or for appointment to binational panels,
are subject to criminal sanctions under
18 U.S.C. 1001.
mstockstill on PROD1PC66 with NOTICES
Paperwork Reduction Act
This notice contains a collection of
information provision subject to the
Paperwork Reduction Act (‘‘PRA’’) that
has been approved by the Office of
Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’).
Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, no person is required to respond to
nor shall a person be subject to a
penalty for failure to comply with a
collection of information subject to the
requirements of the PRA unless that
collection of information displays a
currently valid OMB number. This
notice’s collection of information
burden is only for those persons who
wish voluntarily to apply for
nomination to the NAFTA Chapter 19
roster. It is expected that the collection
of information burden will be under 3
hours. This collection of information
contains no annual reporting or record
keeping burden. This collection of
information was approved by OMB
under OMB Control Number 0350–0014.
Please send comments regarding the
collection of information burden or any
other aspect of the information
collection to USTR at the above e-mail
address or fax number.
Privacy Act
The following statements are made in
accordance with the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The
authority for requesting information to
be furnished is section 402 of the
NAFTA Implementation Act. Provision
of the information requested above is
voluntary; however, failure to provide
the information will preclude your
consideration as a candidate for the
NAFTA Chapter 19 roster. This
information is maintained in a system of
records entitled ‘‘Dispute Settlement
Panelists Roster.’’ Notice regarding this
system of records was published in the
Federal Register on November 30, 2001.
The information provided is needed,
and will be used by USTR, other federal
government trade policy officials
concerned with NAFTA dispute
settlement, and officials of the other
NAFTA Parties to select well-qualified
VerDate Aug<31>2005
16:16 Nov 21, 2007
Jkt 214001
individuals for inclusion on the Chapter
19 roster and for service on Chapter 19
binational panels.
Daniel E. Brinza,
Assistant United States Trade Representative
for Monitoring and Enforcement.
[FR Doc. E7–22807 Filed 11–21–07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190–W8–P
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION
Proposed Collection; Comment
Request
Upon Written Request, Copies Available
From: Securities and Exchange
Commission, Office of Investor
Education and Advocacy,
Washington, DC 20549–0213.
Extension:
Rule 17e–1; SEC File No. 270–224; OMB
Control No. 3235–0217.
Notice is hereby given that, pursuant
to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
(44 U.S.C. 3501–3520), the Securities
and Exchange Commission (the
‘‘Commission’’) is soliciting comments
on the collections of information
summarized below. The Commission
plans to submit these existing
collections of information to the Office
of Management and Budget (‘‘OMB’’) for
extension and approval.
Rule 17e–1 (17 CFR 270.17e–1) under
the Investment Company Act of 1940
(15 U.S.C. 80a–1) (the ‘‘Act’’) is entitled
‘‘Brokerage Transactions on a Securities
Exchange.’’ The rule governs the
remuneration that a broker affiliated
with a registered investment company
(‘‘fund’’) may receive in connection
with securities transactions by the fund.
The rule requires a fund’s board of
directors to establish, and review as
necessary, procedures reasonably
designed to provide that the
remuneration to an affiliated broker is a
fair amount compared to that received
by other brokers in connection with
transactions in similar securities during
a comparable period of time. Each
quarter, the board must determine that
all transactions with affiliated brokers
during the preceding quarter complied
with the procedures established under
the rule. Rule 17e–1 also requires the
fund to (i) maintain permanently a
written copy of the procedures adopted
by the board for complying with the
requirements of the rule; and (ii)
maintain for a period of six years a
written record of each transaction
subject to the rule, setting forth: the
amount and source of the commission;
fee or other remuneration received; the
identity of the broker; the terms of the
PO 00000
Frm 00074
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
65771
transaction; and the materials used to
determine that the transactions were
effected in compliance with the
procedures adopted by the board. The
Commission’s examination staff uses
these records to evaluate transactions
between funds and their affiliated
brokers for compliance with the rule.
The Commission staff estimates that
3583 portfolios of approximately 649
fund complexes use the services of one
or more subadvisers. Based on
discussions with industry
representatives, the staff estimates that
it will require approximately 6 hours to
draft and execute revised subadvisory
contracts in order for funds and
subadvisers to be able to rely on the
exemptions in rule 17e–1.1 The staff
assumes that all existing funds amended
their advisory contracts following
amendments to rule 17e–1 in 2002 that
conditioned certain exemptions upon
these contractual alterations, and
therefore there is no continuing burden
for those funds.2
Based on an analysis of fund filings,
the staff estimates that approximately
600 fund portfolios enter into
subadvisory agreements each year.3
Based on discussions with industry
representatives, the staff estimates that
it will require approximately 3 attorney
hours 4 to draft and execute additional
clauses in new subadvisory contracts in
order for funds and subadvisers to be
able to rely on the exemptions in rule
17e–1. Because these additional clauses
are identical to the clauses that a fund
would need to insert in their
subadvisory contracts to rely on rules
12d3–1, 10f–3, 17a–10, and because we
believe that funds that use one such rule
generally use all of these rules, we
apportion this 3-hour time burden
equally to all four rules. Therefore, we
1 Rules 12d3–1, 10f–3, 17a–10, and 17e–1 require
virtually identical modifications to fund advisory
contracts. The Commission staff assumes that funds
would rely equally on the exemptions in these
rules, and therefore the burden hours associated
with the required contract modifications should be
apportioned equally among the four rules.
2 We assume that funds formed after 2002 that
intended to rely on rule 17e–1 would have included
the contract provision in their initial subadvisory
contracts.
3 The use of subadvisers has grown rapidly over
the last several years, with approximately 600
portfolios that use subadvisers registering between
December 2005 and December 2006. Based on
information in Commission filings, we estimate that
31 percent of funds are advised by subadvisers.
4 The Commission staff’s estimates concerning the
wage rates for attorney time are based on salary
information for the securities industry compiled by
the Securities Industry Association. The $292 per
hour figure for an attorney is from the SIA Report
on Management & Professional Earnings in the
Securities Industry 2006, modified to account for an
1800-hour work-year and multiplied by 5.35 to
account for bonuses, firm size, employee benefits
and overhead.
E:\FR\FM\23NON1.SGM
23NON1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 225 (Friday, November 23, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65769-65771]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-22807]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
North American Free Trade Agreement; Invitation for Applications
for Inclusion on the Chapter 19 Roster
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Invitation for applications.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: Chapter 19 of the North American Free Trade Agreement
(``NAFTA'') provides for the establishment of a roster of individuals
to serve on binational panels convened to review final determinations
in antidumping or countervailing duty (``AD/CVD'') proceedings and
amendments to AD/CVD statutes of a NAFTA Party. The United States
annually renews its selections for the Chapter 19 roster. Applications
are invited from eligible individuals wishing to be included on the
roster for the period April 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009.
DATES: Applications should be received no later than December 7, 2008.
ADDRESSES: Applications should be submitted (i) electronically, to
FR0801@ustr.eop.gov, Attn: ``Chapter 19 Roster Applications'' in the
subject line, or (ii) by fax to Sandy McKinzy at 202-395-3640.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: J. Daniel Stirk, Assistant General
Counsel, Office of the United States Trade Representative, (202) 395-
9617.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Binational Panel Reviews Under NAFTA Chapter 19
Article 1904 of the NAFTA provides that a party involved in an AD/
CVD proceeding may obtain review by a binational panel of a final AD/
CVD determination of one NAFTA Party with respect to the products of
another NAFTA Party. Binational panels decide whether such AD/CVD
determinations are in accordance with the domestic laws of the
importing NAFTA Party, and must use the standard of review that would
have been applied by a domestic court of the importing NAFTA Party. A
panel may uphold the AD/CVD determination, or may remand it to the
national administering authority for action not inconsistent with the
panel's decision. Panel decisions may be reviewed in specific
circumstances by a three-member extraordinary challenge committee,
selected from a separate roster composed of fifteen current or former
judges.
Article 1903 of the NAFTA provides that a NAFTA Party may refer an
amendment to the AD/CVD statutes of another NAFTA Party to a binational
panel for a declaratory opinion as to whether the amendment is
inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
(``GATT''), the GATT Antidumping or Subsidies Codes, successor
agreements, or the object and purpose of the NAFTA with regard to the
establishment of fair and predictable conditions for the liberalization
of trade. If the panel finds that the amendment is inconsistent, the
two NAFTA Parties shall consult and seek to achieve a mutually
satisfactory solution.
Chapter 19 Roster and Composition of Binational Panels
Annex 1901.2 of the NAFTA provides for the maintenance of a roster
of at least 75 individuals for service on Chapter 19 binational panels,
with each NAFTA Party selecting at least 25 individuals. A separate
five-person panel is formed for each review of a final AD/CVD
determination or statutory amendment. To form a panel, the two NAFTA
Parties involved each appoint two panelists, normally by drawing upon
individuals from the roster. If the Parties cannot agree upon the fifth
panelist, one of the Parties, decided by lot, selects the fifth
panelist from the roster. The majority of individuals on each panel
must consist of lawyers in good standing, and the chair of the panel
must be a lawyer.
Upon each request for establishment of a panel, roster members from
the two involved NAFTA Parties will be requested to complete a
disclosure form, which will be used to identify possible conflicts of
interest or appearances thereof. The disclosure form requests
information regarding financial interests and affiliations, including
information regarding the identity of clients of the roster member and,
if applicable, clients of the roster member's firm.
[[Page 65770]]
Criteria for Eligibility for Inclusion on Chapter 19 Roster
Section 402 of the NAFTA Implementation Act (Pub. L. 103-182, as
amended (19 U.S.C. 3432)) (``Section 402'') provides that selections by
the United States of individuals for inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster
are to be based on the eligibility criteria set out in Annex 1901.2 of
the NAFTA, and without regard to political affiliation. Annex 1901.2
provides that Chapter 19 roster members must be citizens of a NAFTA
Party, must be of good character and of high standing and repute, and
are to be chosen strictly on the basis of their objectivity,
reliability, sound judgment, and general familiarity with international
trade law. Aside from judges, roster members may not be affiliated with
any of the three NAFTA Parties. Section 402 also provides that, to the
fullest extent practicable, judges and former judges who meet the
eligibility requirements should be selected.
Adherence to the NAFTA Code of Conduct for Binational Panelists
The ``Code of Conduct for Dispute Settlement Procedures Under
Chapters 19 and 20'' (see https://www.nafta-sec-alena.org/DefaultSite/
index_e.aspx?DetailID=246), which was established pursuant to Article
1909 of the NAFTA, provides that current and former Chapter 19 roster
members ``shall avoid impropriety and the appearance of impropriety and
shall observe high standards of conduct so that the integrity and
impartiality of the dispute settlement process is preserved.'' The Code
also provides that candidates to serve on chapter 19 panels, as well as
those who are ultimately selected to serve as panelists, have an
obligation to ``disclose any interest, relationship or matter that is
likely to affect [their] impartiality or independence, or that might
reasonably create an appearance of impropriety or an apprehension of
bias.'' Annex 1901.2 of the NAFTA provides that roster members may
engage in other business while serving as panelists, subject to the
Code of Conduct and provided that such business does not interfere with
the performance of the panelist's duties. In particular, Annex 1901.2
states that ``[w]hile acting as a panelist, a panelist may not appear
as counsel before another panel.''
Procedures for Selection of Chapter 19 Roster Members
Section 402 establishes procedures for the selection by the Office
of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') of the individuals
chosen by the United States for inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster. The
roster is renewed annually, and applies during the one-year period
beginning April 1 of each calendar year.
Under section 402, an interagency committee chaired by USTR
prepares a preliminary list of candidates eligible for inclusion on the
Chapter 19 Roster. After consultation with the Senate Committee on
Finance and the House Committee on Ways and Means, USTR selects the
final list of individuals chosen by the United States for inclusion on
the Chapter 19 roster.
Remuneration
Roster members selected for service on a Chapter 19 binational
panel will be remunerated at the rate of 800 Canadian dollars per day.
Applications
Eligible individuals who wish to be included on the Chapter 19
roster for the period April 1, 2008, through March 31, 2009, are
invited to submit applications. Persons submitting applications may
either send one copy by fax to Sandy McKinzy at 202-395-3640, or
transmit a copy electronically to FR0801@ustr.eop.gov, with ``Chapter
19 Roster Applications'' in the subject line. USTR encourages the
submission of documents in Adobe PDF format, as attachments to an
electronic mail. Interested persons who make submissions by electronic
mail should not provide separate cover letters; information that might
appear in a cover letter should be included in the submission itself.
Similarly, 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.
Applications must be typewritten, and should be headed
``Application for Inclusion on NAFTA Chapter 19 Roster.'' Applications
should include the following information, and each section of the
application should be numbered as indicated:
1. Name of the applicant.
2. Business address, telephone number, fax number, and e-mail
address.
3. Citizenship(s).
4. Current employment, including title, description of
responsibility, and name and address of employer.
5. Relevant education and professional training.
6. Spanish language fluency, written and spoken.
7. Post-education employment history, including the dates and
addresses of each prior position and a summary of responsibilities.
8. Relevant professional affiliations and certifications,
including, if any, current bar memberships in good standing.
9. A list and copies of publications, testimony, and speeches, if
any, concerning AD/CVD law. Judges or former judges should list
relevant judicial decisions. Only one copy of publications, testimony,
speeches, and decisions need be submitted.
10. Summary of any current and past employment by, or consulting or
other work for, the Governments of the United States, Canada, or
Mexico.
11. The names and nationalities of all foreign principals for whom
the applicant is currently or has previously been registered pursuant
to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, 22 U.S.C. 611 et seq., and the
dates of all registration periods.
12. List of proceedings brought under U.S., Canadian, or Mexican
AD/CVD law regarding imports of U.S., Canadian, or Mexican products in
which the applicant advised or represented (for example, as consultant
or attorney) any U.S., Canadian, or Mexican party to such proceeding
and, for each such proceeding listed, the name and country of
incorporation of such party.
13. A short statement of qualifications and availability for
service on Chapter 19 panels, including information relevant to the
applicant's familiarity with international trade law and willingness
and ability to make time commitments necessary for service on panels.
14. On a separate page, the names, addresses, telephone and fax
numbers of three individuals willing to provide information concerning
the applicant's qualifications for service, including the applicant's
character, reputation, reliability, judgment, and familiarity with
international trade law.
Current Roster Members and Prior Applicants
Current members of the Chapter 19 roster who remain interested in
inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster must submit updated applications.
Individuals who have previously applied but have not been selected may
reapply. If an applicant, including a current or former roster member,
has previously submitted materials referred to in item 9, such
materials need not be resubmitted.
Public Disclosure
Applications normally will not be subject to public disclosure.
They may be referred to other federal agencies in the course of
determining eligibility for the roster, and shared with foreign
[[Page 65771]]
governments and the NAFTA Secretariat in the course of panel selection.
False Statements
Pursuant to section 402(c)(5) of the NAFTA Implementation Act,
false statements by applicants regarding their personal or professional
qualifications, or financial or other relevant interests that bear on
the applicants' suitability for placement on the Chapter 19 roster or
for appointment to binational panels, are subject to criminal sanctions
under 18 U.S.C. 1001.
Paperwork Reduction Act
This notice contains a collection of information provision subject
to the Paperwork Reduction Act (``PRA'') that has been approved by the
Office of Management and Budget (``OMB''). Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, no person is required to respond to nor shall a
person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with a collection
of information subject to the requirements of the PRA unless that
collection of information displays a currently valid OMB number. This
notice's collection of information burden is only for those persons who
wish voluntarily to apply for nomination to the NAFTA Chapter 19
roster. It is expected that the collection of information burden will
be under 3 hours. This collection of information contains no annual
reporting or record keeping burden. This collection of information was
approved by OMB under OMB Control Number 0350-0014. Please send
comments regarding the collection of information burden or any other
aspect of the information collection to USTR at the above e-mail
address or fax number.
Privacy Act
The following statements are made in accordance with the Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a). The authority for requesting
information to be furnished is section 402 of the NAFTA Implementation
Act. Provision of the information requested above is voluntary;
however, failure to provide the information will preclude your
consideration as a candidate for the NAFTA Chapter 19 roster. This
information is maintained in a system of records entitled ``Dispute
Settlement Panelists Roster.'' Notice regarding this system of records
was published in the Federal Register on November 30, 2001. The
information provided is needed, and will be used by USTR, other federal
government trade policy officials concerned with NAFTA dispute
settlement, and officials of the other NAFTA Parties to select well-
qualified individuals for inclusion on the Chapter 19 roster and for
service on Chapter 19 binational panels.
Daniel E. Brinza,
Assistant United States Trade Representative for Monitoring and
Enforcement.
[FR Doc. E7-22807 Filed 11-21-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W8-P
