Executive Office of the President 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Office of Management and Budget announces a meeting of the Acquisition Advisory Panel (AAP or ``Panel'') established in accordance with the Services Acquisition Reform Act of 2003.

The Central Intelligence Agency has undertaken and completed an Agency-wide review of its Privacy Act systems of records. As a result of this review, the Agency is publishing a complete set of revised Privacy Act systems of records notices. The Agency has also modified one of its existing routine uses and added seven new routine uses to its ``Statement of General Routine Uses'' for information subject to the Privacy Act. As required by the Privacy Act, the Agency is providing an opportunity for interested persons to submit comments on these notices and routine uses.

Notice is hereby given that the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has submitted its annual report on the identification of those foreign countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to United States persons that rely upon intellectual property protection, and those foreign countries determined to be priority foreign countries, to the Committee on Finance of the United States Senate and the Committee on Ways and Means of the United States House of Representatives, pursuant to section 182 of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the Trade Act) (19 U.S.C. 2242).

This notice announces that the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) will receive petitions in 2005 to modify the list of products that are eligible for duty-free treatment under the GSP program, and to modify the GSP status of certain GSP beneficiary developing countries because of country practices. This notice further determines that the deadline for submissions of petitions for the 2005 Annual GSP Product and Country Eligibility Practices Review is 5 PM, June 15, 2005. The list of product petitions and country practice petitions accepted for review will be announced in the Federal Register at a later date.

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is hereby publishing the attached memorandum to the heads of executive departments and agencies concerning the determination of the maximum ``benchmark'' compensation amount that will be allowable under government contracts during contractors' FY 2005$473,318. This determination is required under Section 39 of the Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) Act (41 U.S.C. 435), as amended. The benchmark compensation amount applies equally to both defense and civilian procurement agencies.

In accordance with the FAIR Act, agency inventories of activities that are not inherently governmental are now available to the public from the agencies listed below. The FAIR Act requires that OMB publish an announcement of public availability of agency inventories of activities that are not inherently governmental upon completion of OMB's review and consultation process concerning the content of the agencies' inventory submissions. After review and consultation with OMB, agencies make their inventories available to the public, and these inventories also include activities that are inherently governmental. This is the fourth and final release of the FAIR Act inventories for FY 2004. Interested parties who disagree with the agency's initial judgment can challenge the inclusion or the omission of an activity on the list of activities that are not inherently governmental within 30 working days and, if not satisfied with this review, may demand a higher agency review/appeal. The Office of Federal Procurement Policy has made available a FAIR Act User's Guide through its Internet site: https://www.whitehouse.gov/ omb/procurement/fair-index.html. This User's Guide will help interested parties review FY 2004 FAIR Act inventories, and gain access to agency inventories through agency Web site addresses.

The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), on behalf of the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), seeks comment on the interim environmental review of the proposed U.S.-Oman Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The interim environmental review is available at https://www.ustr.gov/TradeSectors/Environment/EnvironmentalRev iews/ SectionIndex.html. Copies of the review will also be sent to interested members of the public by mail upon request.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (``USTR'') is providing notice that on March 21, 2005, in accordance with the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization (``WTO Agreement''), a the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (``DSB'') established a dispute settlement panel at the request of the United States regarding (a) the non-uniform administration by the European Communities of laws, regulations, judicial decisions, and administrative rulings pertaining to the classification and valuation of products for customs purposes, and to requirements, restrictions or prohibitions on imports, and (b) the failure of the European Communities to institute judicial, arbitral or administrative tribunals or procedures for the purpose, inter alia, of the prompt review and correction of administrative action relating to customs matters. USTR invites written comments from the public concerning the issues raised in this dispute.