[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 231 (Thursday, December 3, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63496-63497]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-28877]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice 6830]


Meetings of the United States-Chile Environment Affairs Council 
and Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation

ACTION: Notice of the U.S.-Chile Environmental Affairs Council and 
Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation and request for 
comments.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State and the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative (USTR) are providing notice that the United States 
and Chile intend to hold the fifth meeting of the Environment Affairs 
Council (the ``Council'') and the third meeting of the Joint Commission 
for Environmental Cooperation (the ``Commission'') in Washington, DC, 
on January 20, 2010. These bodies were created pursuant to Chapter 19 
(Environment) of the United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and 
Article II of the United States-Chile Environmental Cooperation 
Agreement (ECA), respectively. A public information session will be 
held on January 20th, at 2 p.m., in room 1107 at the U.S. Department of 
State, 2201 C Street, NW., Washington, DC 20520. If you would like to 
attend the session, please send the following information to Jacqueline 
Tront at the fax number or e-mail address listed below under the 
heading ADDRESSES: (1) Your name, (2) your date of birth, and (3) the 
number of a valid identification card that a government has issued to 
you.
    The purpose of the Council and Commission meeting is detailed below 
under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    The meeting agenda will include an overview of Chapter 19 and 
review of its implementation, progress report on projects outlined in 
the FTA's Annex 19.3 on Environmental Cooperation, a discussion of the 
roles and activities of the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory 
Committee and the public advisory committee that advises the Chilean 
government on trade and environment policy issues, an overview of 
progress of implementing selected projects under the 2007-2008 Work 
Program pursuant to the ECA, and the presentation of a new ECA Work 
Program. The Department of State and USTR invite interested agencies, 
organizations, and members of the public to submit written comments or 
suggestions regarding agenda items and to attend the public session.
    In preparing comments, we encourage submitters to refer to:
     Chapter 19 of the FTA, including Annex 19.3
     The Final Environment Review of the FTA
     The ECA
    These documents are available at: http://www.state.gov/g/oes/env/trade/chile/index.htm.

DATES: The Council/Commission meeting is to be held:
    (1) January 20, 2010, 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., Washington, DC.
    To be assured of timely consideration, comments are requested no 
later than January 10, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions should be submitted to both:
    (1) Jacqueline Tront, Office of Environmental Policy, Bureau of 
Oceans, Environment, and Science, U.S. Department of State, by 
electronic mail at [email protected] with the subject line ``U.S.-Chile 
EAC/JCEC Meeting'' or by fax to (202) 647-5947; and
    (2) Mara M. Burr, Deputy Assistant United States Trade 
Representative for Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the 
United States Trade Representative by electronic mail at 
[email protected] with the subject line ``U.S.-Chile EAC/JCEC 
Meeting'' or by fax to (202) 395-9517.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jacqueline Tront, Telephone (202) 647-
4750 or Mara M. Burr, Telephone (202) 395-7320.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States-Chile FTA entered into 
force on January 4, 2004. Article 19.3 of the FTA establishes an 
Environment Affairs Council, which is required to meet at least once a 
year to discuss the implementation of, and progress under, Chapter 19. 
Chapter 19 requires that meetings of the Council include a public 
session. Under Chapter 19, the two governments agreed to undertake 
eight specific cooperative activities set out in Annex 19.3 to the 
Chapter and to negotiate a United States-Chile Environmental 
Cooperation Agreement to establish priorities for further cooperative 
environmental activities. The ECA entered into force on April 30, 2004, 
and sets out a framework for environmental cooperative activities 
between the two governments. Article II of the ECA establishes the 
United States-Chile Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation, 
with responsibilities that include developing and periodically 
reviewing a work program. The Commission is required to meet at least 
every two years. The first meetings of the Council and the Commission 
were held on July 22, 2004, in Santiago, Chile, and the third meeting 
of the Council and second meeting of

[[Page 63497]]

the Commission were held on October 23-24, 2006, in Santiago, Chile.
    At the fourth Council meeting held on April 24, 2008, in Santiago, 
Chile, the Council discussed the implementation of Chapter 19 of the 
FTA with respect to public participation, progress reports on the eight 
cooperative projects under Chapter 19, implementation of the 2005-2006 
Work Program, and elaboration of the 2007-2008 Work Program. At that 
meeting the Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee and Chile's 
Advisory Committee held the first ever exchange between FTA-related 
trade and environment advisory committees.
    At the upcoming fifth meeting of the Council, the Council will 
review the status of implementation of Chapter 19 and receive reports 
on levels of environmental protection (Article 19.1), enforcement of 
environmental laws (Article 19.2), opportunities for public 
participation (Article 19.4), the environment roster (Article 19.7), 
procedural matters (Article 19.8) and principles of corporate 
stewardship (Article 19.10). The Council will also assess the progress 
of projects outlined in Annex 19.3, the roles and activities of the 
Trade and Environment Policy Advisory Committee and the public advisory 
committee that advises the Chilean government on trade and environment 
policy issues, and the 2009-2010 Work Program Pursuant to the ECA. At 
its third meeting, the Commission, during a Joint Public Session with 
the Council, will receive reports on progress of implementing the 2007-
2008 ECA Work Program and review and approve a new work program. At 
these meetings, the Council and Commission will also consider 
recommendations for future bilateral environmental cooperation. The 
public is advised to refer to the State Department Web site at http://www.state.gov/g/oes/env/trade/chile/index.htm and the USTR Web site at 
http://www.USTR.gov for further information.

    Dated: November 30, 2009.
Willem H. Brakel,
Acting Director, Office of Environmental Policy, Department of State.
[FR Doc. E9-28877 Filed 12-2-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P