Negotiation of a Reciprocal Defense Procurement Memorandum of Understanding With the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, 9813 [2016-04186]
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Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 38 / Friday, February 26, 2016 / Notices
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Acquisition Regulations
System
[Docket No. DARS–2016–0005]
Negotiation of a Reciprocal Defense
Procurement Memorandum of
Understanding With the Ministry of
Defense of Estonia
Department of Defense (DoD).
Notice.
AGENCY:
ACTION:
On behalf of the U.S.
Government, DoD is contemplating
negotiating and concluding a Reciprocal
Defense Procurement (RDP)
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
with the Ministry of Defense of Estonia.
DoD is requesting industry feedback
regarding its experience in public
defense procurements conducted by or
on behalf of the Estonian Ministry of
Defense or Armed Forces.
DATES: Submit written comments to the
address shown below on or before
March 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to
Defense Procurement and Acquisition
Policy, Attn: Lt. Col. Judy Anderson,
3060 Defense Pentagon, Room 5E621,
Washington, DC 20301–3060; or by
email to judy.p.anderson1.mil@
mail.mil.
SUMMARY:
Lt.
Col. Judy Anderson, Senior Analyst,
Office of the Under Secretary of Defense
for Acquisition, Technology and
Logistics (OUSD(AT&L)), Defense
Procurement and Acquisition Policy,
Contract Policy and International
Contracting; Room 5E621, 3060 Defense
Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301–3060;
telephone (703) 695–7197.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DoD has
concluded Reciprocal Defense
Procurement (RDP) Memorandums of
Understanding (MOUs) with 23
‘‘qualifying countries’’ at the level of the
Secretary of Defense and his
counterpart. The purpose of an RDP
MOU is to promote rationalization,
standardization, and interoperability of
conventional defense equipment with
allies and other friendly governments.
These MOUs provide a framework for
ongoing communication regarding
market access and procurement matters
that enhance effective defense
cooperation.
RDP MOUs generally include
language by which the Parties agree that
their defense procurements will be
conducted in accordance with certain
implementing procedures. These
procedures relate to—
mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
VerDate Sep<11>2014
20:41 Feb 25, 2016
Jkt 238001
• Publication of notices of proposed
purchases;
• The content and availability of
solicitations for proposed purchases;
• Notification to each unsuccessful
offeror;
• Feedback, upon request, to
unsuccessful offerors concerning the
reasons they were not allowed to
participate in a procurement or were not
awarded a contract; and
• Provision for the hearing and
review of complaints arising in
connection with any phase of the
procurement process to ensure that, to
the extent possible, complaints are
equitably and expeditiously resolved.
Based on the MOU, each country
affords the other country certain
benefits on a reciprocal basis consistent
with national laws and regulations. The
benefits that the United States accords
to the products of qualifying countries
include—
• Offers of qualifying country end
products are evaluated without applying
the price differentials otherwise
required by the Buy American statute
and the Balance of Payments Program;
• The chemical warfare protection
clothing restrictions in 10 U.S.C. 2533a,
and the specialty metals restriction in
10 U.S.C. 2533b(a)(1) do not apply to
products manufactured in a qualifying
country; and
• Customs, taxes, and duties are
waived for qualifying country end
products and components of defense
procurements.
If DoD (for the United States
Government) concludes an RDP MOU
with the Ministry of Defense of Estonia,
then Estonia would be listed as one of
the ‘‘qualifying countries’’ in the
definition of ‘‘qualifying country’’ at
DFARS 225.003, and offers of products
of Estonia or that contain components
from Estonia would be afforded the
benefits available to all qualifying
countries. This also means that U.S.
products would be exempt from any
analogous ‘‘Buy Estonia’’ and ‘‘Buy
European Union’’ laws or policies
applicable to procurements by the
Estonia Ministry of Defense or Armed
Forces.
While DoD is evaluating Estonia’s
laws and regulations in this area, DoD
would benefit from U.S. industry’s
experience in participating in Estonia’s
public defense procurements. DoD is,
therefore, asking U.S. firms that have
participated or attempted to participate
in procurements by or on behalf of
Estonia’s Ministry of Defense or Armed
Forces to let us know if the
procurements were conducted with
transparency, integrity, fairness, and
due process in accordance with
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 4703
Sfmt 4703
9813
published procedures, and if not, the
nature of the problems encountered.
DoD is also interested in comments
relating to the degree of reciprocity that
exists between the United States and
Estonia when it comes to the openness
of defense procurements to offers of
products from the other country.
Jennifer L. Hawes,
Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations
System.
[FR Doc. 2016–04186 Filed 2–25–16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001–06–P
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Department of the Army; Corps of
Engineers
Inland Waterways Users Board
Meeting Notice
Department of the Army, U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, DoD.
ACTION: Notice of open Federal advisory
committee meeting.
AGENCY:
The Department of the Army
is publishing this notice to announce
the following Federal advisory
committee meeting of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, Inland Waterways
Users Board (Board). This meeting is
open to the public. For additional
information about the Board, please
visit the committee’s Web site at https://
www.iwr.usace.army.mil/Missions/
Navigation/InlandWaterwaysUsers
Board.aspx.
SUMMARY:
The Army Corps of Engineers,
Inland Waterways Users Board will
meet from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on
April 1, 2016. Public registration will
begin at 8:15 a.m.
ADDRESSES: The Board meeting will be
conducted at the Hotel Monaco—
Pittsburgh, 620 William Penn Place,
Pittsburgh, PA 15219, at 412–471–1170,
reservations at 855–338–3837, https://
www.monaco-pittsburgh.com.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.
Mark R. Pointon, the Designated Federal
Officer (DFO) for the committee, in
writing at the Institute for Water
Resources, U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers, ATTN: CEIWR–GM, 7701
Telegraph Road, Casey Building,
Alexandria, VA 22315–3868; by
telephone at 703–428–6438; and by
email at Mark.Pointon@usace.army.mil.
Alternatively, contact Mr. Kenneth E.
Lichtman, the Alternate Designated
Federal Officer (ADFO), in writing at the
Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CEIWR–GW,
7701 Telegraph Road, Casey Building,
Alexandria, VA 22315–3868; by
DATES:
E:\FR\FM\26FEN1.SGM
26FEN1
]]>Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 38 (Friday, February 26, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Page 9813]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04186]
[[Page 9813]]
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DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Defense Acquisition Regulations System
[Docket No. DARS-2016-0005]
Negotiation of a Reciprocal Defense Procurement Memorandum of
Understanding With the Ministry of Defense of Estonia
AGENCY: Department of Defense (DoD).
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: On behalf of the U.S. Government, DoD is contemplating
negotiating and concluding a Reciprocal Defense Procurement (RDP)
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Defense of
Estonia. DoD is requesting industry feedback regarding its experience
in public defense procurements conducted by or on behalf of the
Estonian Ministry of Defense or Armed Forces.
DATES: Submit written comments to the address shown below on or before
March 28, 2016.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to Defense Procurement and Acquisition
Policy, Attn: Lt. Col. Judy Anderson, 3060 Defense Pentagon, Room
5E621, Washington, DC 20301-3060; or by email to
judy.p.anderson1.mil@mail.mil">judy.p.anderson1.mil@mail.mil.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lt. Col. Judy Anderson, Senior
Analyst, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition,
Technology and Logistics (OUSD(AT&L)), Defense Procurement and
Acquisition Policy, Contract Policy and International Contracting; Room
5E621, 3060 Defense Pentagon, Washington, DC 20301-3060; telephone
(703) 695-7197.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: DoD has concluded Reciprocal Defense
Procurement (RDP) Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with 23
``qualifying countries'' at the level of the Secretary of Defense and
his counterpart. The purpose of an RDP MOU is to promote
rationalization, standardization, and interoperability of conventional
defense equipment with allies and other friendly governments. These
MOUs provide a framework for ongoing communication regarding market
access and procurement matters that enhance effective defense
cooperation.
RDP MOUs generally include language by which the Parties agree that
their defense procurements will be conducted in accordance with certain
implementing procedures. These procedures relate to--
Publication of notices of proposed purchases;
The content and availability of solicitations for proposed
purchases;
Notification to each unsuccessful offeror;
Feedback, upon request, to unsuccessful offerors
concerning the reasons they were not allowed to participate in a
procurement or were not awarded a contract; and
Provision for the hearing and review of complaints arising
in connection with any phase of the procurement process to ensure that,
to the extent possible, complaints are equitably and expeditiously
resolved.
Based on the MOU, each country affords the other country certain
benefits on a reciprocal basis consistent with national laws and
regulations. The benefits that the United States accords to the
products of qualifying countries include--
Offers of qualifying country end products are evaluated
without applying the price differentials otherwise required by the Buy
American statute and the Balance of Payments Program;
The chemical warfare protection clothing restrictions in
10 U.S.C. 2533a, and the specialty metals restriction in 10 U.S.C.
2533b(a)(1) do not apply to products manufactured in a qualifying
country; and
Customs, taxes, and duties are waived for qualifying
country end products and components of defense procurements.
If DoD (for the United States Government) concludes an RDP MOU with
the Ministry of Defense of Estonia, then Estonia would be listed as one
of the ``qualifying countries'' in the definition of ``qualifying
country'' at DFARS 225.003, and offers of products of Estonia or that
contain components from Estonia would be afforded the benefits
available to all qualifying countries. This also means that U.S.
products would be exempt from any analogous ``Buy Estonia'' and ``Buy
European Union'' laws or policies applicable to procurements by the
Estonia Ministry of Defense or Armed Forces.
While DoD is evaluating Estonia's laws and regulations in this
area, DoD would benefit from U.S. industry's experience in
participating in Estonia's public defense procurements. DoD is,
therefore, asking U.S. firms that have participated or attempted to
participate in procurements by or on behalf of Estonia's Ministry of
Defense or Armed Forces to let us know if the procurements were
conducted with transparency, integrity, fairness, and due process in
accordance with published procedures, and if not, the nature of the
problems encountered.
DoD is also interested in comments relating to the degree of
reciprocity that exists between the United States and Estonia when it
comes to the openness of defense procurements to offers of products
from the other country.
Jennifer L. Hawes,
Editor, Defense Acquisition Regulations System.
[FR Doc. 2016-04186 Filed 2-25-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 5001-06-P
