[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 115 (Wednesday, June 16, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33691-33692]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-13576]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Mutual Recognition Agreement on Marine Equipment Between the 
United States and the EEA EFTA States (Norway, Iceland and 
Liechtenstein)

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The United States is considering a proposal to negotiate a 
mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on marine equipment with European 
Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries that are part of the European 
Economic Area (EEA)--i.e., Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein. Such an 
agreement would parallel the provisions of the Marine Equipment MRA 
signed by the United States and European Community (EC) in 2004. The 
Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) seeks public 
comment on the desirability of negotiating a mutual recognition 
agreement in this sector with the EEA EFTA States

DATES: Comments should be submitted no later than Friday, July 16, 
2004.

ADDRESSES: Submissions by electronic mail should be sent to: 
[email protected]. Submissions by fax should be sent to: Gloria Blue, 
Executive Secretary, Trade Policy Staff Committee (TPSC), Office of the 
U.S. Trade Representative at (202) 395-6143.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For procedural questions concerning 
public comments, contact Gloria Blue, Executive Secretary, Trade Policy 
Staff Committee, Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, 1724 F 
Street, NW., Washington, DC 20508, tel: (202) 395-3475. Substantive 
questions should be addressed to Jim Sanford, Deputy Assistant USTR for 
European Affairs at (202) 395-3320; or Jason Buntin, Director for EFTA 
Affairs at (202) 395-4620.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On February 27, 2004, the United States and 
European Community (EC) signed the US-EC Marine Equipment MRA. This 
agreement is to enter into force on July 1, 2004. Under the terms of 
the US-EC Marine Equipment MRA, designated products which comply with 
U.S. requirements will be accepted for sale in the European Union (EU) 
without any additional testing. The MRA will permit U.S. rigid life 
rafts, for example, determined by the U.S. Coast Guard to conform to 
U.S. regulations to be sold in the EU marketplace without any 
additional tests. Likewise, European

[[Page 33692]]

rigid life rafts that are determined by European authorities to meet EU 
requirements can be sold in the United States without additional 
testing. The agreement fully preserves the U.S. Coast Guard's authority 
to determine the level of safety protection it considers appropriate, 
and in no way lowers current U.S. marine safety requirements. The text 
of the US-EC Marine Equipment MRA, including the current product scope, 
is available on USTR's Web site at: http://www.ustr.gov/regions/eu-med/westeur/2004-02-27-agreement-marine.pdf.
    The EEA EFTA States (i.e., Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein) 
formally have requested that the United States negotiate a mutual 
recognition agreement (MRA) that would parallel the agreement concluded 
between the United States and the EC.
    The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) established a 
single market ensuring free circulation of goods, persons, capital and 
services among the EU Member States and the three EEA EFTA States. 
Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein, are integrated into the European 
Community Single Market and thereby apply the internal market 
legislation (acquis communautaire). This ensures that the EEA EFTA 
States and their economic operators are subject to the same rights and 
obligations as their counterparts in the European Community, and that a 
product placed on the market in accordance with the EU technical 
requirements freely circulates within the EEA.
    An agreement between the United States and the EEA EFTA States 
would ensure U.S. producers of designated marine equipment direct 
market access to the EFTA part of the Community's Single Market. In 
effect, an MRA with the EEA EFTA States would extend the benefits of 
the US-EC marine equipment MRA to the markets of Norway, Iceland, and 
Liechtenstein.
    In the United States, the U.S. Coast Guard administers conformity 
assessment requirements for marine equipment used on merchant ships, 
which includes lifesaving equipment, fire protection systems, and 
navigational equipment. The US-EC Marine Equipment MRA product scope is 
based on a detailed product-by-product determination of the equivalency 
of U.S. and EU marine equipment requirements. Only products facing 
identical requirements in each market are included in the initial 
product scope. The initial MRA product scope includes 43 products in 
three main categories: life saving equipment (e.g., distress signals, 
rigid life rafts); fire protection equipment (e.g., deck coverings, 
flame retardant materials); and navigational equipment (e.g., GPS 
equipment, echo-sounding equipment). The US-EC agreement also 
contemplates expanding the product scope in the future based on the 
results of international regulatory cooperation.
    Public Comments: USTR invites written comments from interested 
persons on the desirability of negotiating an MRA with the EEA EFTA 
States which would parallel the US-EC Marine Equipment MRA. Comments 
are invited in particular on: (a) The benefits for pursuing an MRA in 
this sector; and (b) any specific issues regarding an MRA in this 
sector. All submissions must be in English and should conform to the 
information requirements of 15 CFR part 2003. Comments should state 
clearly the position taken and should describe the specific information 
(including data, if possible) supporting that position.
    USTR strongly recommends that interested persons submit comments by 
electronic mail to the following e-mail address: [email protected]. 
Submissions by e-mail should include ``US-EEA EFTA States Marine 
Equipment MRA'' in the message subject line. Documents should be 
submitted in Word, WordPerfect, or text (.txt) files. Supporting 
documentation submitted as spreadsheets is acceptable in Quattro Pro or 
Excel format.
    For any document containing business confidential information 
submitted electronically, the file name of the business confidential 
version should begin with the characters ``BC-''; and the file name of 
the public version should begin with the character ``P-''. The ``P-'' 
or ``BC-'' should be followed by the name of the submitted information. 
Persons who make submissions by e-mail should not provide separate 
cover letters; information that might appear in a cover letter should 
be included in the submission itself. To the extent possible, any 
attachments to the submission should be included in the same file as 
the submission itself.
    Written comments or other information submitted in connection with 
this request, except information granted ``business confidential'' 
status pursuant to 15 CFR 2003.6, will be available for public 
inspection in the USTR Reading Room, Room 3, 1724 F Street, NW., 
Washington, DC 20508. An appointment to review the file may be made by 
calling (202) 395-6186. The Reading Room is open to the public from 10 
a.m. to noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Carmen Suro-Bredie,
Chair, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 04-13576 Filed 6-15-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-W4-P