[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 250 (Thursday, December 31, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69330-69331]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-31085]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration


Request for Comments on Priorities for the Transatlantic 
Innovation Dialogue

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration is seeking comments on 
priorities for the Transatlantic Innovation Dialogue from any 
interested party, including industry, consumer, labor and environmental 
groups, trade associations, professional organizations/societies, 
academia, and Federal, state, and local governments. Comments will be 
used to identify and select projects for cooperation on innovation 
policy between the United States government and the European 
Commission.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before February 5, 
2010.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by any of the following methods:
    E-mail: [email protected].
    Fax: (202) 482-2897 (Attn.: Tshanda Kalombo).

[[Page 69331]]

    Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier: Tshanda Kalombo, U.S. Department of 
Commerce, Office of the European Union, Room 3513, 14th Street & 
Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Washington, DC 20230.
    All of the comments received will be posted on the following Web 
site: http://www.state.gov/p/eur/rt/eu/tec/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions on the submission of 
comments, please contact Tshanda Kalombo by phone at (202) 482-2561 or 
by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Information: The Transatlantic 
Innovation Dialogue is a senior-level government-to-government forum 
that was established on October 27, 2009 by U.S. and European Union 
(EU) leaders in the Transatlantic Economic Council (TEC). The objective 
of the Innovation Dialogue is to bolster U.S. and EU efforts to spur 
growth, productivity, and entrepreneurial activity by sharing best 
policy practices and identifying steps that will improve the policy 
environment for innovative activities across the Atlantic. By 
innovation, we mean the design, invention, development and/or 
implementation of new or altered products, services, processes, 
systems, organizational structures, or business models for the purpose 
of creating new value for the economy and society.
    The TEC created the Transatlantic Innovation Dialogue to elevate 
and improve the effectiveness of existing and new areas of cooperation 
in order to achieve tangible results in job creation, higher 
competitiveness and economic growth, and solutions for addressing 
societal challenges. Cooperation on improving innovation and 
technological development ecosystems is expected to benefit companies, 
workers, consumers, and governments on both sides of the Atlantic by 
spurring economic growth and transatlantic trade and investment.
    The Transatlantic Innovation Dialogue will be co-led by senior-
level officials in the U.S. Department of Commerce and in the European 
Commission's Directorate-General for Industry and Entrepreneurship, who 
will oversee its activities and report to interested stakeholders and 
to the TEC leaders.
    The U.S. government and European Commission will collaborate with 
stakeholders to identify, select, and develop work plans for priority 
areas of cooperation. The work of the Dialogue will complement and 
coordinate with existing, innovation-related, bilateral fora including: 
U.S.-EU Intellectual Property Rights Working Group, the U.S. and EU 
Energy Council, the U.S.-EU Science and Technology Agreement, the U.S. 
Department of Commerce-European Commission Standards Dialogue, the 
U.S.-EU High Level Regulatory Cooperation Forum and the U.S.-EU 
Information Society Dialogue.
    To assist in identifying topics for innovation cooperation between 
the U.S. government and the European Commission, the U.S. Department of 
Commerce is requesting comments from any interested stakeholder on 
priorities that should be the focus of the Transatlantic Innovation 
Dialogue. In submitting comments, stakeholders should consider the 
following questions:
     What specific technology areas and industry sectors should 
the U.S. and EU focus on?
     What government policies that enable innovation should the 
U.S. and EU address?
     For the topics identified, what form should cooperation 
take (e.g. exchange of information, knowledge transfer)?
     What should the short and long term objectives be for each 
identified project?
     What specific outcomes should the U.S. and EU try to 
achieve by 2011?
    After receiving and reviewing submissions to this notice, the U.S. 
Department of Commerce will hold a public meeting to discuss the 
prioritization of potential areas of cooperation under the Dialogue. 
After interagency consultations, the U.S. Department of Commerce will 
work with the European Commission on the agenda for Dialogue and submit 
work plans for the agreed priorities to the TEC for its 2010 meeting.

    Dated: December 28, 2009.
David De Falco,
Director, Office of the European Union, Market Access and Compliance, 
International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. E9-31085 Filed 12-30-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-DA-P