80 FR 79130 - Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the Proposed Environmental Goods Agreement

OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 243 (December 18, 2015)

The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), through the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an environmental review of the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA), a plurilateral trade agreement currently being negotiated among 17 members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the United States. The TPSC invites written comments from the public on the topics that should be included in the scope of the EGA environmental review, including potential positive or negative environmental effects that might result from the trade agreement. The TPSC also welcomes public views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting the review.

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 243 (Friday, December 18, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 79130-79131]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-31781]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Request for Comments Concerning an Environmental Review of the 
Proposed Environmental Goods Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of intent to conduct an environmental review of the 
proposed Environmental Goods Agreement and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), 
through the Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), is initiating an 
environmental review of the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA), a 
plurilateral trade agreement currently being negotiated among 17 
members of the World Trade Organization (WTO), including the United 
States. The TPSC invites written comments from the public on the topics 
that should be included in the scope of the EGA environmental review, 
including potential positive or negative environmental effects that 
might result from the trade agreement. The TPSC also welcomes public 
views on appropriate methodologies and sources of data for conducting 
the review.

DATES: Comments should be submitted on or before February 1, 2016, to 
be assured of timely consideration by the TPSC.

ADDRESSES: Public comments should be submitted electronically to 
www.regulations.gov, docket number USTR-2015-0021. If you are unable to 
provide submissions at www.regulations.gov, please contact Ms. Yvonne 
Jamison (202-395-3475) to arrange for an alternative method of 
transmission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions regarding the submission of 
comments in response to this notice should be directed to Ms. Yvonne 
Jamison at (202) 395-3475. Questions concerning the environmental 
review should be addressed to Mr. Seth Patch at (202) 395-7320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. Background Information

    On March 21, 2014, USTR notified Congress of the President's intent 
to enter into negotiations for a WTO Environmental Goods Agreement with 
an initial group of 13 trading partners. Seventeen WTO members are 
presently participating in the EGA negotiations: Australia, Canada, 
China, Costa Rica, the European Union, Hong Kong, Iceland, Israel, 
Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Chinese 
Taipei, Turkey, and the United States. Through notices in the Federal 
Register and a public hearing (held June 5, 2014, in Washington, DC), 
the TPSC invited the public to provide written comments and/or oral 
testimony regarding U.S. interests and priorities with respect to the 
proposed agreement (see 79 FR 17637, 79 FR 74803, and 80 FR 4332), 
including products to be included for tariff elimination. Additional 
information about the proposed EGA can be found at https://ustr.gov/trade-agreements/other-initiatives/environmental-goods-agreement and 
https://ustr.gov/about-us/policy-offices/press-office/fact-sheets/2014/July/WTO-EGA-Promoting-Made-in-America-Clean-Technology-Exports-Green-Growth-Jobs. Public comments on environmental issues submitted in 
response to prior notices (80 FR 17637, 79 FR 74803, and 80 FR 4332) 
requesting comments from the public regarding the EGA will be taken 
into account in preparing the environmental review and do not need to 
be resubmitted.

2. Environmental Review

    USTR, through the TPSC, will conduct an environmental review of the 
agreement consistent with Executive Order 13141 (64 FR 63169) and its 
implementing guidelines (65 FR 79442). The purpose of environmental 
reviews is to ensure that policymakers and the public are informed 
about reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of trade agreements 
(both positive and negative), to identify complementarities between 
trade and environmental objectives, and to help shape appropriate 
responses if environmental impacts are identified. Reviews are intended 
to be one tool, among others, for integrating environmental information 
and analysis into the fluid, dynamic process of trade negotiations. 
USTR and the Council on Environmental Quality jointly oversee 
implementation of the Executive Order and its implementing guidelines. 
USTR, through the TPSC, is responsible for conducting the individual 
reviews. Additional background information and examples of prior 
environmental reviews are available at: https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/environment/environmental-reviews.

3. Requirements for Submissions

    Persons submitting comments must do so in English and must identify 
(on the first page of the submission) ``Comments Regarding the EGA 
Environmental Review.'' In order to be

[[Page 79131]]

assured of consideration, comments should be submitted by February 1, 
2016. In order to ensure the timely receipt and consideration of 
comments, USTR strongly encourages commenters to make on-line 
submissions, using the www.regulations.gov Web site. To submit comments 
via www.regulations.gov, enter docket number USTR-2015-0021 on the home 
page and click ``search.'' The site will provide a search-results page 
listing all documents associated with this docket. Find a reference to 
this notice and click on the link entitled ``Comment Now!'' (For 
further information on using the www.regulations.gov Web site, please 
consult the resources provided on the Web site by clicking on ``How to 
Use This Site'' on the left side of the home page).
    The www.regulations.gov Web site allows users to provide comments 
by filling in a ``Type Comment'' field, or by attaching a document 
using an ``Upload File'' field. USTR prefers that comments be provided 
in an attached document. USTR prefers submissions in Microsoft Word 
(.doc) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf). If the submission is in an application 
other than those two, please indicate the name of the application in 
the ``Type Comment'' field.
    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. Filers 
submitting comments containing no business confidential information 
should name their file using the name of the person or entity 
submitting the comments.
    Please do not attach separate cover letters to electronic 
submissions; rather, include any information that might appear in a 
cover letter in the submission itself. Similarly, to the extent 
possible, please include any exhibits, annexes, or other attachments in 
the same file as the submission itself, not as separate files.
    As noted, USTR strongly urges submitters to file comments through 
the www.regulations.gov Web site if at all possible. Any alternative 
arrangements must be made with Ms. Jamison in advance of transmitting a 
comment. Ms. Jamison may be contacted at (202) 395-3475. General 
information concerning USTR is available at www.ustr.gov.
    Comments will be placed in the docket and open to public 
inspection, except business confidential information. Comments may be 
viewed on the www.regulations.gov Web site by entering the relevant 
docket number in the search field on the home page.

Edward Gresser,
Acting Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 2015-31781 Filed 12-17-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3290-F6-P