[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 190 (Tuesday, October 1, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60368-60369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-23857]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


Determination Regarding Waiver of Discriminatory Purchasing 
Requirements With Respect to Goods and Services of a New Member State 
of the European Union (Republic of Croatia)

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Determination Regarding Waiver of Discriminatory Purchasing 
Requirements under the Trade Agreements Act of 1979.

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DATES: Effective Date: September 30, 2013.

[[Page 60369]]


FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Scott J. Pietan, Director of 
International Procurement Policy, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, (202) 395-9646.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The European Union (``EU'') is a party to 
the World Trade Organization (``WTO'') Agreement on Government 
Procurement (``GPA'') and has assumed rights and obligations under the 
GPA on behalf of its Member States. On July 1, 2013, the Republic of 
Croatia acceded to the EU. In light of that accession, the EU has 
committed to assume rights and obligations on behalf of the new Member 
State under the GPA. On June 27, 2013 the WTO Committee on Government 
Procurement approved the application of the GPA to the Republic of 
Croatia. The United States, which is also a party to the GPA, has 
agreed to waive discriminatory purchasing requirements for eligible 
products and suppliers of the Republic of Croatia, beginning on 
September 30, 2013.
    Section 1-201 of Executive Order 12260 of December 31, 1980 
delegated the functions of the President under sections 301 and 302 of 
the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (``the Trade Agreements Act'') (19 
U.S.C. 2511, 2512) to the United States Trade Representative.
    Determination: In conformity with sections 301 and 302 of the Trade 
Agreements Act, and in order to carry out U.S. obligations under the 
GPA, I hereby determine that:
    1. The European Union, including the Republic of Croatia, is an 
instrumentality that: (A) is a party to the GPA; and (B) will provide 
appropriate reciprocal competitive government procurement opportunities 
to United States products and services and suppliers of such products 
and services. In accordance with section 301(b)(1) of the Trade 
Agreements Act, the European Union is so designated for purposes of 
section 301(a) of the Trade Agreements Act.
    2. Accordingly, beginning on September 30, 2013, with respect to 
eligible products (namely, those goods and services covered under the 
GPA for procurement by the United States) of the Republic of Croatia 
and suppliers of such products, the application of any law, regulation, 
procedure, or practice regarding government procurement that would, if 
applied to such products and suppliers, result in treatment less 
favorable than that accorded--
    (A) To United States products and suppliers of such products, or
    (B) To eligible products of another foreign country or 
instrumentality which is a party to the GPA and suppliers of such 
products, shall be waived. This waiver shall be applied by all entities 
listed in United States Annexes 1 and 3 of GPA Appendix 1.
    3. The Trade Representative may modify or withdraw the designation 
in paragraph 1 and the waiver in paragraph 2.
    4. This notice shall not affect the treatment to be accorded to 
eligible products of any country that was a Member State of the 
European Union before September 30, 2013.

    Dated: September 17, 2013.
Mike Froman,
United States Trade Representative.
[FR Doc. 2013-23857 Filed 9-30-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3290-F3-P