[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 155 (Friday, August 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-19704]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: August 12, 1994]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE

 

Accession to the European Union by Austria, Finland, Norway and 
Sweden: Request for Comments; Trade Policy Staff Committee; Public 
Comments on Market Access Implications of Accession of Austria, 
Finland, Norway and Sweden to the European Union (EU)

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Request for written submissions from the public regarding the 
market access implications of accession of Austria, Finland, Norway and 
Sweden to the European Union.

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SUMMARY: Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden signed a treaty of 
accession on June 24, 1994 with the European Union. This treaty is 
expected to be ratified by the end of 1994 and implemented on January 
1, 1995. The Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC) requests written 
submissions from the public concerning the market access implications 
of the EU accession of these four countries, for U.S. production and 
trade in goods and services.
    These items would include any expected increases in tariff rates in 
the four countries due to their application of the EU's common external 
tariff.

DATE: Submissions must be received on or before noon, September 16, 
1994.

ADDRESS: Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., 
Washington, D.C. 20506

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Robert Kasper, Director for EFTA Affairs (202-395-3320), Office of the 
U.S. Trade Representative, 600 17th Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20506.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On June 24, 1994, Austria, Finland, Norway 
and Sweden signed a treaty of accession with the European Union (EU) 
and its member states. This treaty is expected to be ratified by the 
end of 1994 and implemented on January 1, 1995.
    Under Article XXIV: 7(a) of the General Agreement on Tariffs and 
Trade (GATT), GATT contracting parties must formally notify the GATT of 
their intention to enter into a customs union, such as the European 
Union. A GATT working party will then be established to examine the 
proposed customs union in relation to the standards of Article XXIV, 
including the rule that the ``duties and other regulations of commerce 
imposed * * * in respect of trade with contracting parties not parties 
to such union * * * shall not on the whole be higher or ore restrictive 
than the general incidence of the duties and other regulations of 
commerce applicable in the constituent territories prior to the 
formation of such union
* * *'' The GATT working party will examine the agreement to determine 
whether the duties and trade regulations of the enlarged EU will be 
higher or more restrictive with respect to the EU's trading partners 
than the duties and trade regulations of the EU and the four countries 
individually prior to accession.
    Under the treaty of accession, Austria, Finland, Norway and Sweden 
will begin to apply the EU's trade regime, including the EU's common 
external tariff schedule, for almost all items, on January 1, 1995. 
While the United States has yet to receive trade information from the 
European Union upon which to evaluate the expected trade consequences 
of this accession, it is likely that U.S. production and trade in some 
sectors will be adversely affected.
    If a country joining a customs union plans to raise a duty rate 
which is bound in its GATT schedule of concessions, it may renegotiate 
the tariff concession under GATT Article XXIV: 6 and the procedures of 
Article XXVIII. This renegotiation may result in the provision of 
tariff compensation (reduction of duties) covering an equivalent value 
of trade.
    The Chairman of the Trade Policy Staff Committee invites written 
submissions from the public on the expected implications of the 
accession treaty on access to the markets of Austria, Finland, Norway, 
Sweden, or the existing EU member states for U.S. products and 
services. Submissions will be used in decisions regarding U.S. 
negotiating priorities with respect to the EU enlargement. The 
information obtained from these submissions will be considered during 
the GATT working party examination of the EU accession and the GATT 
Article XXIV: 6 tariff compensation negotiations.
    Submissions should describe the product or service in question, 
and, in the case of products, should include the Harmonized System 
tariff heading(s). Submissions should describe the present market 
access for the products or services, including value and quantity of 
exports, any existing problems, and should identify the changes that 
are expected to result from the implementation of the accession treaty. 
Submissions may also include recommendations for appropriate 
compensation to be sought for instances of diminished market access. 
These recommendations could include such items as reductions in the EU 
common external tariff on goods, improvements to EU market access 
commitments on services, or other changes in the EU trade regime for 
goods and services.
    Comments must be submitted in English and provided in twenty copies 
to Carolyn Frank, Secretary of the Trade Policy Staff Committee, Room 
414, 600 17th Street NW., Washington, D.C. 20506, no later than 12:00 
noon on Friday, September 16, 1994.

Public Inspection of Submissions

    Except for information granted ``business confidential'' status 
pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6, submissions will be available for public 
inspection by appointment at the USTR Public Reading Room, in room 101, 
Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th Street, NW, 
Washington, D.C. An appointment to review the file may be made by 
calling Brenda Webb, (202) 395-6186. The USTR Reading Room is open to 
the public from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon and from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 
p.m., Monday through Friday. Any business confidential material must be 
clearly marked as such on the cover letter or page and each succeeding 
page, and must be accompanied by a nonconfidential summary of the 
confidential information. The nonconfidential summary will be open to 
public inspection.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 94-19704 Filed 8-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M