Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 1998 / Notices 36473

Investment

(a) To establish a fair and transparent legal

framework to promote investment through

the creation of a stable and predictable

environment that protects the investor, his

investment and related flows, without

creating obstacles to investments from

outside the hemisphere.

Standards and Technical Barriers to Trade

(a) To eliminate and prevent unnecessary

technical barriers to trade in the FTAA, based

on the proposals contained in the Common

Objectives Paper approved by the Working

Group.

Subsidies, Antidumping and Countervailing

Duties

(a) To examine ways to deepen, if

appropriate, existing disciplines provided in

the WTO Agreement on Subsidies and

Countervailing Measures and enhance

compliance with the terms of the WTO

Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing

Measures.

(b) To achieve a common understanding

with a view to improving, where possible,

the rules and procedures regarding the

operation and application of trade remedy

laws in order to not create unjustified

barriers to trade in the Hemisphere.

Government Procurement

(a) The broad objective of negotiations in

government procurement is to expand access

to the government procurement markets of

the FTAA countries.

More specifically, the objectives are:

(a) To achieve a normative framework that

ensures openness and transparency of

government procurement processes, without

necessarily implying the establishment of

identical government procurement systems

in all countries;

(b) To ensure non-discrimination in

government procurement within a scope to

be negotiated;

(c) To ensure impartial and fair review for

the resolution of procurement complaints

and appeals by suppliers and the effective

implementation of such resolutions.

Intellectual Property Rights

(a) To reduce distortions in trade in the

Hemisphere and promote and ensure

adequate and effective protection to

intellectual property rights. Changes in

technology must be considered.

Services

(a) Establish disciplines to progressively

liberalize trade in services, so as to permit

the achievement of a hemispheric free trade

area under conditions of certainty and

transparency;

(b) Ensure the integration of smaller

economies into the FTAA process.

Competition Policy

The objectives of the negotiations are:

(a) General Objectives:

• To guarantee that the benefits of the

FTAA liberalization process not be

undermined by anti-competitive business

practices.

(b) Specific Objectives:

• To advance towards the establishment of

juridical and institutional coverage at the

national, sub-regional or regional level, that

proscribes the carrying out of anticompetitive business practices;

• To develop mechanisms that facilitate

and promote the development of competition

policy and guarantee the enforcement of

regulations on free competition among and

within countries of the Hemisphere.

Dispute Settlement

(a) To establish a fair, transparent and

effective mechanism for dispute settlement

among FTAA countries, taking into account

inter alia the WTO Understanding on Rules

and Procedures Governing the Settlement of

Disputes.

(b) To design ways to facilitate and

promote the use of arbitration and other

alternative dispute settlement mechanisms,

to solve private trade controversies in the

framework of the FTAA.

Work in different groups may be

interrelated, such as agriculture and market

access; services and investment; competition

policy and subsidies, antidumping and

countervailing duties; among others. The

TNC shall identify linkages and outline

appropriate procedures to ensure timely and

effective coordination. We agree to give the

mandate to the relevant negotiating groups to

study issues relating to: the interaction

between trade and competition policy,

including antidumping measures; market

access and agriculture, in order to identify

any areas that may merit further

consideration by us. The groups involved

will report their results to the TNC no later

than December 2000. This is without

prejudice to decisions made by the TNC to

dissolve, establish or merge groups. Likewise,

the negotiating groups may establish ad-hoc

working groups.

[FR Doc. 98–17723 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3190–01–M

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the Information

Collection Request (ICR) abstracted

below has been forwarded to the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) for

review and comment. The ICR describes

the nature of the information collection

and its expected burden. The Federal

Register Notice with a 60-day comment

period soliciting comments on the

following collection of information was

published on March 30, 1998 [63 FR

15257].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before August 5, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Paul Scott, Office Engineering, Federal

Highway Administration, U.S.

Department of Transportation, HNG–10,

Room 3134, 400 7th St., SW.,

Washington, DC 20590–0001, telephone

(202) 366–4104. Office hours are from

7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., E.T., Monday

thru Friday, except Federal holidays.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Highway Administration

(FHWA)

1. Title: Develop and Submit Utility

Accommodation Policies.

OMB Number: 2125–0514.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Form(s): N/A.

Affected Public: State highway

agencies.

Abstract: The FHWA has elected to

fulfill its statutory obligations regarding

utility accommodation by requiring the

State highway agencies to develop and

submit to FHWA a policy statement on

the authority of utilities to use and

occupy highway rights-of-way; the

State’s authority to regulate such use;

and the policies and/or procedures

employed for accommodating utilities

within the rights-of-way of Federal-aid

highway projects. Upon approval of the

policy statement, the State highway

agency may take any action required in

accordance with the approved policy

statement without case-by-case review

by the FHWA. Utility accommodation

policy statements have previously been

approved by the FHWA for all the 50

State highway agencies and the highway

agencies of the District of Columbia and

the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Even

so, these policy statements must

periodically be reviewed to see if

updating is necessary, and must

periodically be updated to reflect policy

changes.

Estimated Total Annual Burden: The

estimated total annual reporting burden

is 2,800 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 725—17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention

FHWA Desk Officer.

Comments are invited on: whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the Department,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; the accuracy of

the Department’s estimate of the burden

of the proposed information collection;

ways to enhance the quality, utility and
36474 Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 128 / Monday, July 6, 1998 / Notices

clarity of the information to be

collected; and ways to minimize the

burden of the collection of information

on respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is best assured of

having its full effect if OMB receives it

within 30 days of publishing in the

Federal Register.

Issued in Washington, DC, on June 29,

1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department

of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98–17719 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Form and Recordkeeping

Requirements Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

USC Chapter 3501, et seq.), this notice

announces that the Information

Collection Request (ICR) abstracted

below has been forwarded to the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) for

review and comment. The ICR describe

the nature of the information collections

and its expected burden. The Federal

Register Notice with a 60-day comment

period soliciting comments was

published on April 13, 1998 [63 FR

18072].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before August 5, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Bernie Stankus, Office of Airline

Information, K–25, Bureau of

Transportation Statistics, 400 7th Street,

SW., Room 3430, Washington, DC 20590

(202) 366–4387.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Bureau of Transportation Statistics

(BTS)

Title: Airline Service Quality

Performance.

OMB Control Number: 2138–0041.

Type of Request: Extension of a

Currently Approved Collection.

Form No.: None.

Affected Entities: Large domestic

passenger air carriers—Alaska Airlines,

America West Airlines, American

Airlines, Continental Air Lines, Delta

Air Lines, Northwest Airlines,

Southwest Airlines, Trans World

Airlines, United Air Lines, US Airways.

Abstract: Since Part 234 has been

effective, carriers’ quality of service has

improved, resulting in a decrease in the

number of consumer complaints. The

Department discloses the carriers’ ontime performances and mishandled

baggage information to the public.

Airline passengers are now more

informed to make carrier selections

based on the quality of service provided.

Aircraft tail number, wheels-up and

wheels-down time gives the FAA

valuable data for pinpointing and

analyzing air traffic delays. Wheels-up

and wheels-down time are used in

conjunction with departure and arrival

times to show the extent of ground

delays. Elapsed flight time (computed

from the wheels-up time and the

wheels-down time) reveals delays

experienced in the air. The reporting of

the aircraft tail number allows the FAA

to track an aircraft through the air

network, which enables the FAA to

study the ripple effects of delays at hub

airports. Data by aircraft type allows the

FAA to calculate the capacity impacted

by air traffic congestion. The data can be

analyzed for airport design changes,

new equipment purchases, the planning

of new runways or airports based on

current and projected airport delays,

and traffic levels.

Estimated Annual Burden Hours:

1,440 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 725—17th Street, NW,

Washington, DC 20503, ATTN: DOT/

BTS Desk Officer. Comments are invited

on: whether the proposed collections of

information are necessary for the proper

performance of the functions of the

Department, including whether the

information will have practical utility;

the accuracy of the Department’s

estimates of the burden of the proposed

information collections; ways to

enhance the quality, utility and clarity

of the information to be collected; and

ways to minimize the burden of the

collections of information on

respondents, including the use of

automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

A comment to OMB is best assured of

having its full effect when OMB receives

it within 30 days of publication.

Issued in Washington, DC on June 29,

1998.

Phillip A. Leach,

Clearance Officer, United States Department

of Transportation.

[FR Doc. 98–17725 Filed 7–2–98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4910–62–P

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Office of the Secretary

Reports, Forms and Recordkeeping

Requirements; Agency Information

Collection Activity Under OMB Review

AGENCY: Office of the Secretary, DOT.

ACTION: Notice.

SUMMARY: In compliance with the

Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44

U.S.C. 3501 et seq.), this notice

announces that the Information

Collection Request (ICR) abstracted

below has been forwarded to the Office

of Management and Budget (OMB) for

review and comment. The ICR describes

the nature of the information collection

and its expected burden. The Federal

Register Notice with a 60-day comment

period soliciting comments on the

following collection of information was

published on March 9, 1998 [63 FR

11472].

DATES: Comments must be submitted on

or before August 5, 1998.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms.

Judith Street, Room 612, Federal

Aviation Administration, Corporate

Information Division, ABC–100, 800

Independence Ave., SW., Washington,

DC 20591.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

Title: High Density Traffic Airports

Slot Allocation and Transfer Methods.

OMB Number: 2120–0524.

Type of Request: Extension of a

currently approved collection.

Form(s): N/A.

Affected Public: Business or other for

profit.

Abstract: High Density Traffic

Airports Slot Allocation and Transfer

Methods. The FAA uses this

information to allocate slots and

maintain accurate records of slot

transfers at the High Density Traffic

Airports. The information will be

provided by air carriers and commuter

operators or other persons holding a slot

at High Density Traffic Airports.

Estimated annual burden: 1800 hours.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to the

Office of Information and Regulatory

Affairs, Office of Management and

Budget, 725—17th Street, NW.,

Washington, DC 20503, Attention FAA

Desk Officer.

Comments are invited on: whether the

proposed collection of information is

necessary for the proper performance of

the functions of the Department,

including whether the information will

have practical utility; the accuracy of

the Department’s estimate of the burden