Industry and Security Bureau November 2006 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to add ``Montenegro'' and ``Serbia'' as separate countries in the EAR and to establish separate export licensing requirements for Montenegro and Serbia. BIS is taking this action to update the EAR to reflect the United States' recognition of Montenegro as a sovereign state by the United States.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is publishing this final rule to amend the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to implement the understandings reached at the June 2006 plenary meeting of the Australia Group (AG). Specifically, this final rule amends the EAR to reflect changes to the AG ``Control List of Biological Agents'' by revising the Commerce Control List (CCL) entry that controls certain human and zoonotic pathogens and toxins to add certain fungi (i.e., Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii) and toxins (i.e., Shiga-like ribosome inactivating proteins other than verotoxin). Verotoxin continues to be listed under this CCL entry. Prior to the publication of this rule, the fungi Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii and Shiga-like ribosome inactivating proteins other than verotoxin were listed under the CCL entry containing unilaterally controlled select agents and toxins not included on any of the AG Common Control Liststhis rule removes these items from that CCL entry. As a result of the addition of Shiga-like ribosome inactivating proteins other than verotoxin to the CCL entry that controls certain human and zoonotic pathogens and toxins, this rule makes conforming changes to two additional CCL entries (i.e., the CCL entry that controls certain AG-listed genetic elements and genetically modified organisms and the CCL entry that controls vaccines, immunotoxins, medical products, and diagnostic and food testing kits). This rule also amends the EAR to reflect changes to the AG ``Control List of Dual-Use Chemical Manufacturing Facilities and Equipment and Related Technology'' by expanding the scope of the CCL entry that controls certain chemical manufacturing facilities and equipment to include equipment in which all surfaces that come in direct contact with the chemical(s) being processed or contained are made from niobium (columbium) or niobium alloys. In addition, this final rule corrects errors in two CCL entries that were amended by a final rule that BIS published on December 29, 2004. This rule corrects a typographical error involving a Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) registry number in the CCL entry that controls AG-listed precursor chemicals. This rule also corrects an error in the CCL entry that controls certain Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) Schedule 2 or Schedule 3 chemicals not included on any of the AG Common Control Lists by removing the Schedule 3 chemical ethyldiethanolamine. The December 29, 2004, final rule added ethyldiethanolamine to the CCL entry that controls AG-listed precursor chemicals, but failed to remove it from the aforementioned entry. This rule also amends the EAR provisions describing AG-related license requirements and licensing policies to remind applicants that, even if an AG-related item is licensed by ``$ value'' (e.g., human and zoonotic pathogens and toxins, plant pathogens, genetic elements and genetically modified organisms, and select agents and toxins), the EAR still require that the unit of quantity commonly used in the trade be shown on the license application. Finally, this rule updates the list of countries that currently are States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) by adding the Central African Republic and Comoros, which recently became States Parties. As a result of this change, the CW (Chemical Weapons) license requirements and policies in the EAR that apply to these countries now conform with those applicable to other CWC States Parties.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) by imposing new foreign policy export and reexport controls on devices primarily useful for the surreptitious interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications classified under Export Control Classification Number (ECCN) 5A980. In this rule, BIS also imposes controls on related software and technology by creating ECCNs 5D980 and 5E980. BIS is taking this action in order to prevent the unlawful interception of oral, wire, or electronic communications by terrorists and others who may put the information gained through intercepted communications to an unlawful use, to promote the protection of privacy of oral, wire, or electronic communications; and to protect against threats of terrorism around the world.

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is seeking public comments on the impact that implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, through the Chemical Weapons Convention Implementation Act and the Chemical Weapons Convention Regulations, has had on commercial activities involving ``Schedule 1'' chemicals through calendar year 2006. This notice of inquiry is part of an effort to collect information to assist BIS in its preparation of the annual certification required under Condition 9 of Senate Resolution 75, April 24, 1997, in which the Senate gave its advice and consent to the ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention.