[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 140 (Friday, July 22, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 43928-43929]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-15644]


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DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice: 11794]


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

ACTION: Notice of the upcoming United States-Chile Environmental 
Affairs Council and Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation 
meetings and request for comments; invitation to public session.

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SUMMARY: The Department of State and the Office of the United States 
Trade Representative are providing notice that the parties to the 
United States-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA) intend to hold the ninth 
meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council (Council) established 
under Chapter 19 of the FTA, as well as the seventh meeting of the 
United States-Chile Joint Commission for Environmental Cooperation 
(Commission) established under the United States-Chile Environmental 
Cooperation Agreement (ECA), on August 22, 2022. The Council will 
review implementation of Chapter 19 (Environment) of the FTA, and the 
Commission will review implementation of the ECA.
    During the Council and Commission meetings, Members will discuss 
the progress made in implementing Chapter 19 obligations and the 
impacts of environmental cooperation. The Commission will also explore 
opportunities for collaboration under Environmental Cooperation Work 
Program for 2021-2024. More information on the Council and Commission 
is included below under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION.
    All interested persons are invited to attend the Council and 
Commission joint public session in person beginning at 10 a.m. Eastern 
Daylight Time on August 23, 2022, in Washington, DC. There will also be 
a link provided for those that would like to participate virtually. 
Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss 
implementation of Chapter 19 and the ECA with Council and Commission 
Members and environmental cooperation implementers. At the public 
session, the Council will receive input from the public on current 
environmental issues and ideas for future cooperation. The Department 
of State and Office of the United States Trade Representative invite 
written comments or suggestions regarding topics to be discussed at the 
meeting. In preparing comments, we encourage submitters to refer to 
Chapter 19 of the FTA and the ECA (available at https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/current-trade-agreements-with-environmental-chapters/#chile). 
Instructions on how to submit comments are under the heading ADDRESSES 
and RSVP.

DATES: The public session of the Council and Commission will be held on 
August 23, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon Eastern Daylight Time. 
Please contact Neal Morris and Tia Potskhverashvili for the location of 
this meeting and connection information for virtual participation. We 
request RSVPs and any written comments no later than August 15, 2022, 
in order to facilitate consideration.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions should be submitted to both:
    (1) Neal Morris, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and 
International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of 
Environmental Quality, by email at [email protected] with the subject

[[Page 43929]]

line ``UNITED STATES-CHILE EAC/JCEC MEETING'' and
    (2) Tia Potskhverashvili, Office of the United States Trade 
Representative, Office of Environment and Natural Resources, by email 
at [email protected] with the subject line ``UNITED STATES-CHILE 
EAC/JCEC MEETING''
    In your RSVP, please include your full name and affiliation.
    If you have access to the internet, you can view and comment on 
this notice by going to: http://www.regulations.gov/#!home and 
searching for docket number DOS- 2022-0020.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Neal Morris, (202) 550-6348, 
[email protected], and Tia Potskhverashvili, (202) 395-5414, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The United States and Chile negotiated the 
United States-Chile FTA and United States-Chile ECA in concert, signing 
the FTA on June 6, 2003, in Miami, USA and the ECA on June 17, 2003, in 
Santiago, Chile. Article 19.3 of the FTA establishes an Environment 
Affairs Council (Council). The Council discusses implementation of 
Chapter 19 of the FTA, and its meetings include a public session. The 
Joint Commission on Environmental Cooperation (Commission) was 
established in Article II of the ECA. The Commission evaluates 
cooperative activities under the ECA, recommends options for improving 
cooperation, and establishes work programs that reflect national 
priorities and that identify the scope and focus of environmental 
cooperation activities. Commission meetings also include a public 
session.
    The Council and Commission last met in September 2018 in Santiago, 
Chile. The Council reviewed the implementation of the Environment 
Chapter of the FTA. The Commission approved the 2018-2020 Work Program, 
which built on previous successes and identified activities to achieve 
the long-term goals of: (1) strengthening effective implementation and 
enforcement of environmental laws and regulations; (2) encouraging 
development and adoption of sound environmental practices and 
technologies, particularly in business enterprises; (3) promoting 
sustainable development and management of environmental resources, 
including wild fauna and flora, protected wild areas, and other 
ecologically important ecosystems; and (4) encouraging civil society 
participation in the environmental decision-making process and 
environmental education.
    If you would like to attend the public session, please notify Neal 
Morris and Tia Potskhverashvili at the email addresses listed above 
under the heading ADDRESSES and RSVP. Please include your full name and 
identify any organization or group you represent. In preparing 
comments, we encourage submitters to refer to:
     Chapter 19 of the FTA and
     the ECA.
    These documents are available at: https://www.state.gov/key-topics-office-of-environmental-quality-and-transboundary-issues/current-trade-agreements-with-environmental-chapters/#chile and https://ustr.gov/issue-areas/environment/bilateral-and-regional-trade-agreements. Visit 
http://www.state.gov and the USTR website at www.ustr.gov for more 
information.

Sherry Z. Sykes,
Director, Office of Environmental Quality, U.S. Department of State.
[FR Doc. 2022-15644 Filed 7-21-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4710-09-P