This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER

contains documents other than rules or

proposed rules that are applicable to the

public. Notices of hearings and investigations,

committee meetings, agency decisions and

rulings, delegations of authority, filing of

petitions and applications and agency

statements of organization and functions are

examples of documents appearing in this

section.

Notices Federal Register

6510

Vol. 62, No. 29

Wednesday, February 12, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agriculture Service

Agricultural Policy and Technical

Advisory Committees for Trade;

Nominations

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service.

ACTION: Notice: Request for

nominations.

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Agriculture

and the United States Trade

Representative are seeking nominations

for appointment to the following

advisory committees for trade:

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

for Trade

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Animals and

Animal Products

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Fruits and

Vegetables

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed,

and Oilseeds

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Sweeteners

and Sweetener Products

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Tobacco,

Cotton, and Peanuts

The Advisory Committees for Trade

were established to ensure that U.S.

trade policy and trade negotiation

objectives adequately reflect U.S.

commercial and economic interests by

providing the Secretary and the Trade

Representative with advice concerning

negotiating objectives and bargaining

positions before entering into a trade

agreement; the operation of an

agreement once entered into; and other

matters arising in connection with the

administration of the trade policy of the

United States.

DATES: Written nominations must be

received on or before March 14, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send all nominating

materials to Mr. John B. Winski,

Executive Secretary, Agricultural Policy

Advisory Committee for Trade, Foreign

Agricultural Service, USDA, room

5065—STOP 1001, 1400 Independence

Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250–

1000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To

receive a copy of the Advisory

Committee Membership Background

Information form which must be

completed by each nominee, or for

additional information, please contact

Mr. John B. Winski or Ms. Denise

Burgess, Foreign Agricultural Service,

USDA, room 5065—STOP 1001, 14th &

Independence Avenues, S.W.,

Washington, D.C. 20250–1000, (202)

720–6829 (telephone), (202) 720–8097

(FAX), or info@fas.usda.gov (e-mail).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant

to the Federal Advisory Committee Act

(5 U.S.C. appendix), notice is hereby

given that the Secretary of Agriculture

and the United States Trade

Representative are seeking nominations

for the Agricultural Policy Advisory

Committee for Trade (APAC) and the

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committees for Trade (ATACs) listed

below:

Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee

for Trade

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Animals and

Animal Products

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Fruits and

Vegetables

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Grains, Feed,

and Oilseeds

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Sweeteners

and Sweetener Products

Agricultural Technical Advisory

Committee for Trade in Tobacco,

Cotton, and Peanuts

Background

In 1974, Congress established a

private sector advisory committee

system to ensure that U.S. trade policy

and trade negotiation objectives

adequately reflect U.S. commercial and

economic interests. Congress expanded

and enhanced the role of this system in

three subsequent trade acts.

The private sector advisory system

now consists of almost 40 committees,

arranged in three tiers; The President’s

Advisory Committee on Trade and

Policy Negotiations (ACTPN); seven

policy advisory committees, including

the Agricultural Policy Advisory

Committee for Trade (APAC); and more

than 30 technical advisory committees

including the five Agricultural

Technical Advisory Committees for

Trade (ATACs).

The duties of the APAC are to provide

the Secretary and the Trade

Representative with advice concerning:

negotiating objectives and bargaining

positions before entering into a trade

agreement; the operation of an

agreement once entered into; and other

matters arising in connection with the

administration of the trade policy of the

United States. The duties of the ATACs

are to provide advice and information

regarding trade issues which affect both

domestic and foreign production and

trade concerning their respective

commodities, drawing upon the

technical competence and experience of

its members. Each committee is required

to meet at the conclusion of negotiations

for each trade agreement entered into

under the Act to provide a report on

such agreement to the President, to

Congress, and to the U.S. Trade

Representative.

Membership

Members are appointed jointly by the

Secretary of Agriculture and the U.S.

Trade Representative. Appointments are

made upon the rechartering of each

committee and periodically throughout

the duration of the Committee charter.

The APAC and the ATACs are expected

to be rechartered in April 1997, for a

period of two years. Members serve at

the discretion of the Secretary and the

U.S. Trade Representative.

Appointments to a Committee expire at

the end of the Committee’s charter, but

members may be reappointed for one or

more additional terms should the

charter of the Committee be renewed.

Approximately 50 private sector

representatives are appointed to the

APAC and approximately 25 private

sector representatives are appointed to

each ATAC.

A chairperson is selected for each

committee from the membership of the

committee. The Assistant to the

Administrator, Foreign Agricultural

Service, and the Assistant United States

Trade Representative, Office of

Intergovernmental Affairs and Public

Liaison, Office of the U.S. Trade

Representative, are the joint Executive

Secretaries of the APAC. A full-time
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 29 / Wednesday, February 12, 1997 / Notices 6511

Federal Officer or employee of the

Foreign Agricultural Service shall serve

as the Executive Secretary of each

ATAC.

Nominations

The Secretary of Agriculture and the

U.S. Trade Representative invite those

individuals, organizations, and interest

groups affiliated with foreign trade and

agriculture, to nominate individuals for

membership to any of the committees.

The Secretary and the U.S. Trade

Representative seek a diverse group of

members representing a broad spectrum

of persons interested in the United

States agricultural trade policy, from

every region of the country. To ensure

that there is balanced representation on

each committee, the Secretary and the

U.S. Trade Representative may seek

additional nominations from the private

sector as necessary.

The term ‘‘balanced representation’’

includes balance among the various

agricultural interests such as farmers,

farm and commodity organizations,

processors, traders, and consumers, as

well as geographical balance. No

company, producer or farm

organization, trade association, or other

entity has a right to representation on a

Committee. Members are selected

primarily for their expertise and

knowledge of agriculture or specific

agricultural products and of trade

matters and are expected to provide

advice to the Government as general

representatives of those interests. In

making selections, every effort shall be

made to maintain balanced

representation on each committee.

Equal opportunity practices will be

followed in all appointments to the

committees. To ensure that the

recommendations of the committees

have taken into account the needs of the

diverse groups served by the USDA and

the USTR, membership should include,

to the extent practicable, individuals

with demonstrated ability to represent

minorities, women, and persons with

disabilities.

Nominations should describe and

document the proposed member’s

qualifications for membership to the

committee. Nominations must include a

completed AD–755 Advisory Committee

Membership Background Information

form and supplemental form which are

reproduced below.

Appointments are made subject to a

confidential security clearance. All

nominees must be U.S. citizens.

Wardell C. Townsend, Jr.,

Assistant Secretary for Administration.

BILLING CODE 3410–10–M
6512 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 29 / Wednesday, February 12, 1997 / Notices
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 29 / Wednesday, February 12, 1997 / Notices 6513
6514 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 29 / Wednesday, February 12, 1997 / Notices

[FR Doc. 97–3485 Filed 2–11–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410–10–C