[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 229 (Tuesday, November 30, 2010)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 73958-73959]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-30182]


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DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

Office of Foreign Assets Control

31 CFR Part 548


Belarus Sanctions Regulations

AGENCY: Office of Foreign Assets Control, Treasury.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets 
Control (``OFAC'') is amending the Belarus Sanctions Regulations 
(``BSR'') in the Code of Federal Regulations to authorize U.S. persons 
to engage in otherwise prohibited transactions with two blocked 
entities, Lakokraska OAO and/or Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO, until May 
31, 2011. In addition, OFAC is amending the BSR to make a technical 
correction to the authority citation.

DATES: Effective Date: November 30, 2010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Assistant Director for Compliance, 
Outreach & Implementation, tel.: 202/622-2490, Assistant Director for 
Licensing, tel.: 202/622-2480, Assistant Director for Policy, tel.: 
202/622-4855, Office of Foreign Assets Control, or Chief Counsel 
(Foreign Assets Control), tel.: 202/622-2410, Office of the General 
Counsel, Department of the Treasury (not toll free numbers).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Electronic and Facsimile Availability

    This document and additional information concerning OFAC are 
available from OFAC's Web site (http://www.treas.gov/ofac). Certain 
general information pertaining to OFAC's sanctions programs also is 
available via facsimile through a 24-hour fax-on-demand service, tel.: 
202/622-0077.

Background

    The Belarus Sanctions Regulations, 31 CFR part 548 (``BSR''), 
implement Executive Order 13405 of June 16, 2006, ``Blocking Property 
of Certain Persons Undermining Democratic Processes or Institutions in 
Belarus'' (``E.O. 13405''). Pursuant to E.O. 13405, on May 15, 2008, 
OFAC designated the entities Lakokraska OAO and Polotsk Steklovolokno 
OAO, blocking their property and interests in property (73 FR 29849, 
May 22, 2008). On September 4, 2008, before the publication of the BSR, 
OFAC issued and posted on its Web site Belarus General License No. 1, 
which authorized all transactions between U.S. persons and Lakokraska 
OAO and/or Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO from September 4, 2008, until 
March 2, 2009. This authorization was subject to the proviso that all 
property and interests in property of Lakokraska OAO or Polotsk 
Steklovolokno OAO that previously had been blocked pursuant to E.O. 
13405 were to remain blocked. OFAC subsequently amended Belarus General 
License No. 1 four times to extend its authorization for transactions 
between U.S. persons and the two entities. The latest of those

[[Page 73959]]

amendments, Belarus General License No. 1-D, extended the authorization 
for all transactions between U.S. persons and Lakokraska OAO and/or 
Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO until November 30, 2010.
    The BSR were published on February 3, 2010 (75 FR 5502). Section 
548.509 of the BSR memorialized General License No. 1, as amended, and 
authorized all transactions between U.S. persons and Lakokraska OAO 
and/or Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO for a limited period of time. Today, 
OFAC is amending section 548.509(a) of the BSR to extend the 
authorization until May 31, 2011. U.S. persons may continue to engage 
in all transactions otherwise prohibited by the BSR with Lakokraska OAO 
and/or Polotsk Steklovolokno OAO, except that, as provided in section 
548.509(b), any property and interests in property that were blocked 
prior to September 4, 2008, still remain blocked.
    This rule also corrects a typographical error in the BSR's 
authority citation.

Public Participation

    Because the amendments of the Regulations involve a foreign affairs 
function, the provisions of Executive Order 12866 and the 
Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) requiring notice of 
proposed rulemaking, opportunity for public participation, and delay in 
effective date are inapplicable. Because no notice of proposed 
rulemaking is required for this rule, the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 
U.S.C. 601-612) does not apply.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    The collections of information related to the Regulations are 
contained in 31 CFR part 501 (the ``Reporting, Procedures and Penalties 
Regulations''). Pursuant to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. 3507), those collections of information have been approved by 
the Office of Management and Budget under control number 1505-0164. An 
agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to 
respond to, a collection of information unless the collection of 
information displays a valid control number.

List of Subjects in 31 CFR Part 548

    Administrative practice and procedure, Banks, Banking, Belarus, 
Blocking of assets, Credit, Foreign trade, Penalties, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements, Securities, Services.

0
For the reasons set forth in the preamble, the Department of the 
Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control amends 31 CFR part 548 as 
follows:

PART 548--BELARUS SANCTIONS REGULATIONS

0
1. Revise the authority citation to part 548 to read as follows:

    Authority: 3 U.S.C. 301; 31 U.S.C. 321(b); 50 U.S.C. 1601-1651, 
1701-1706; Pub. L. 101-410, 104 Stat. 890 (28 U.S.C. 2461 note); 
Pub. L. 110-96, 121 Stat. 1011 (50 U.S.C. 1705 note); E.O. 13405, 71 
FR 35485; 3 CFR, 2007 Comp., p. 231.

Subpart E--Licenses, Authorizations, and Statements of Licensing 
Policy

0
2. Revise Sec.  548.509(a) to read as follows:


Sec.  548.509  Transactions with certain blocked persons authorized.

    (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, U.S. 
persons are authorized to engage in all transactions otherwise 
prohibited by this part with Lakokraska OAO and/or Polotosk 
Steklovolokno OAO, entities whose property and interests in property 
are blocked pursuant to Sec.  548.201(a)(2), until May 31, 2011.
* * * * *

    Dated: November 23, 2010.
Adam J. Szubin,
Director, Office of Foreign Assets Control.
[FR Doc. 2010-30182 Filed 11-29-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4810-AL-P