[Billing Code:]

DEPARTMENT OF STATE

[Public Notice:]

NOTIFICATION OF THE NEXT CAFTA-DR ENVIRONMENTAL 

AFFAIRS COUNCIL MEETING 

AGENCY: Department of State

ACTION: Notice of the CAFTA-DR Environmental Affairs Council Meeting and 

request for comments. 

SUMMARY: The Department of State and the Office of the United States Trade 

Representative are providing notice that the government parties to the Dominican 

Republic-Central America-United States Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) 

intend to hold the seventh meeting of the Environmental Affairs Council (Council)

established under Chapter 17 of that agreement in Santo Domingo, Dominican 

Republic on May 9, 2013 at a venue to be announced. All interested persons are

invited to attend a public session beginning at 2:00 pm on May 9.

During the meeting, each Council Member will present its country’s progress in 

implementing Chapter 17 obligations and the impacts of environmental 

cooperation in their respective countries. The Council will also receive a 

presentation from the CAFTA-DR Secretariat for Environmental Matters (SEM). 

For the public session of the meeting, the Council will highlight issues from the 
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above discussion elements with a particular focus on Chapter 17 obligations and 

environmental cooperation successes. 

All interested persons are invited to attend a public session where they will have 

the opportunity to ask questions and discuss implementation of Chapter 17 and 

environmental cooperation with Council Members. In addition, the SEM will 

present on the public submission process established under Chapter 17. More 

information on the Council is included below under Supplementary Information.

The Department of State and Office of the United States Trade Representative 

invite written comments or suggestions regarding the meeting. In preparing 

comments, we encourage submitters to refer to Chapter 17 of the CAFTA-DR, the 

Final Environmental Review of the CAFTA-DR and the Agreement among the 

CAFTA-DR countries on Environmental Cooperation (ECA) (all documents 

available at http://www.state.gov/e/oes/env/trade/caftadr/index.htm). 

DATES: The Council will hold the meeting on May 9, 2013, in Santo Domingo.

If you are interested in attending, please email Abby Lindsay at 

LindsayA@state.gov for the specific time and place. To be assured of timely 

consideration, all written comments or suggestions are requested no later than

April19, 2013.

ADDRESSES: Written comments or suggestions should be submitted to both: (1) 

Abby Lindsay, U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Oceans and International 
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Environmental and Scientific Affairs, Office of Environmental Quality and 

Transboundary Issues by e-mail to LindsayA@state.gov with the subject line 

“CAFTA-DR EAC Meeting” or by fax to (202) 647-5947; and (2) Sarah Stewart, 

Director for Environment and Natural Resources, Office of the United States Trade 

Representative by e-mail to Sarah_Stewart@ustr.eop.gov with the subject line 

“CAFTA-DR EAC Meeting” or by fax to (202) 395-9517. 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 on docket number DOS-2013-

0009.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: Abby Lindsay, (202) 647-

8772 or Sarah Stewart, (202) 395-3858.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Article 17.5 of the CAFTA-DR 

establishes an Environmental Affairs Council (the Council). Article 17.5 requires 

the Council to meet to oversee the implementation of, and review progress under, 

Chapter 17. Article 17.5 further requires, unless the governments otherwise agree, 

that each meeting of the Council include a session in which members of the 

Council have an opportunity to meet with the public to discuss matters relating to 

the implementation of Chapter 17.

In Article 17.9 of the CAFTA-DR, the governments recognize the importance of 

strengthening capacity to protect the environment and to promote sustainable 
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development in concert with strengthening trade and investment relations and state 

their commitment to expanding their cooperative relationship on environmental 

matters. Article 17.9 also references the ECA, which sets out certain priority areas 

of cooperation on environmental activities that are also reflected in Annex 17.9 of 

the CAFTA-DR. These priority areas include, among other things: reinforcing 

institutional and legal frameworks and the capacity to develop, implement, 

administer, and enforce environmental laws, regulations, standards and policies; 

conserving and managing shared, migratory and endangered species in 

international trade and management of protected areas; promoting best practices 

leading to sustainable management of the environment; and facilitating technology 

development and transfer and training to promote clean production technologies.

The public is advised to refer to the State Department website at 

http://www.state.gov and the USTR website at www.ustr.gov for more 

information. 

Disclaimer: This Public Notice is a request for comments and suggestions, and is 

not a request for applications. No granting of money is directly associated with 
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this request for suggestions on the Council meeting agenda. There is no 

expectation of resources or funding associated with any comments or suggestions.

_______________ ____________________________

Date George N. Sibley,

Director, 

Office of Environmental Quality and 

Transboundary Issues,

U.S. Department of State.
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Drafted: OES/ENV: A. Lindsay, x.7-8772

Cleared: OES: D. Balton, Acting (ok)

OES/EQT: G. Sibley (ok)

A/GIS/DIR: D. Andrusko (ok)

OES/PPO: I. Esparza (ok)

OES/L: D. Gravallese (ok)

PA/FO: V. Fowler (ok)

WHA/CEN: A. Steckler (ok)

WHA/EPSC O. Cabello (ok)

EB: A. Cameron (ok)

USTR: S. Stewart (ok)

Embassy Santo Domingo: K. Norman (ok)