[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 65 (Monday, April 5, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Page 17730]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-7637]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Advance Notice of Potential Expansion of Coverage of WTO 
Government Procurement Agreement

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Advance Notice of Potential Expansion of Coverage of WTO 
Government Procurement Agreement.

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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jean Heilman Grier, Senior Procurement 
Negotiator, Office of the United States Trade Representative, (202) 
395-9476.

Background

    Currently, there are 28 Parties to the WTO Government Procurement 
Agreement (GPA). They are: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, European 
Communities, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong China, 
Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, 
Luxembourg, Netherlands, Netherlands with respect to Aruba, Norway, 
Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and 
the United States. Suppliers from each of those countries are able to 
participate, on a reciprocal basis, in the government procurement of 
the other countries, subject to the terms and conditions set out in the 
GPA. The terms include a list of the entities from each country that 
are subject to GPA rules.
    On May 1, 2004, 10 countries will join the European Communities 
(EC). They are: the Czech Republic, Republic of Estonia, Republic of 
Cyprus, Republic of Latvia, Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Hungary, 
Republic of Malta, Republic of Poland, Republic of Slovenia and Slovak 
Republic (``new EC Member States''). The EC has notified the other GPA 
Parties of its intention that the GPA will be binding on the new EC 
Member States as of May 1, 2004. The EC is consulting with the other 
GPA Parties with regard to the lists of the entities of the new EC 
Member States that would be subject to the GPA rules.

Future Action

    When the WTO Committee approves the application of the GPA to the 
10 new EC Member States, U.S. suppliers will be able to participate in 
the government procurement of those countries. Similarly, based upon a 
determination that the U.S. Trade Representative will make under the 
Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as amended, suppliers from the new EC 
Member States will be eligible to participate in U.S. government 
procurement under the same terms and conditions as suppliers from the 
countries that are currently covered by the GPA. That determination 
will be published in the Federal Register prior to May 1, 2004.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 04-7637 Filed 4-2-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W3-P