[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 111 (Thursday, June 9, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 33701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-14298]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Foreign Agricultural Service

Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade; Renewal

AGENCY: Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act, notice is 
hereby given that the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary), in 
coordination with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), has 
renewed the six Agricultural Technical Advisory Committees for Trade 
(ATACs).

DATES: Effective: June 9, 2011.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Inquiries or comments regarding the 
renewal of these committees may be sent by electronic mail to: 
Lorie.Fitzsimmons@fas.usda.gov and Steffon.Brown@fas.usda.gov, or by 
fax to (202) 720-0340. The Office of Agreements and Scientific Affairs 
may be reached by telephone at (202) 720-6219, with inquiries directed 
to Lorie Fitzsimmons or Steffon Brown.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Introduction

The ATACs are authorized by sections 135(c)(1) and (2) of the Trade 
Act of 1974, as amended (Pub. L. 93-618, 19 U.S.C. 2155). The purpose 
of these committees is to advise the Secretary and the USTR concerning 
agricultural trade policy. The committees are intended to ensure that 
representative elements of the private sector have an opportunity to 
express their views to the U.S. Government.

Rechartering of Existing Committees

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. Appendix), 
FAS gives notice that the Secretary and the USTR have renewed the 
following four ATACs:
Animals and Animal Products;
Fruits and Vegetables;
Processed Foods, and;
Sweeteners and Sweetener Products.

Pursuant to the Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App. II), 
FAS gives notice that the Secretary and the USTR are reorganizing and 
then renewing the following two ATACs:
Grains, Feed, Oilseeds and Planting Seeds.
Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts.

These ATACs are being reorganized by removing representation of the 
planting seeds industry from the Tobacco, Cotton, Peanuts and Planting 
Seeds (TCPPS) ATAC and adding representation of the planting seeds 
sector to the Grains, Feed and Oilseeds (GFO) ATAC. The justification 
for this structural change is that many of the issues that the GFO 
committee addresses, such as genetically modified organisms, new 
technologies and international negotiations, are common within the U.S. 
planting seeds industry. The proposed changes will result in the 
Tobacco, Cotton and Peanuts (TCP) ATAC and the Grains, Feed, Oilseeds, 
and Planting Seeds (GFOPS) ATAC.

In 1974, Congress established a private sector advisory committee 
system to ensure that U.S. trade policy and negotiation objectives 
adequately reflect U.S. commercial and economic interests. The private 
sector advisory committee system currently consists of the following 
three tiers:

The President's Advisory Committee on Trade and Policy 
Negotiations;
Five general policy advisory committees, including the 
Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee for Trade, and;
Twenty-two technical advisory committees, including the 
ATACs.

The reorganizing and renewal of such committees is in the public 
interest in connection with USDA's performance of duties imposed on 
USDA by the Trade Act of 1974, as amended.

Dated: June 3, 2011.
Suzanne Heinen,
Administrator, Foreign Agricultural Service.
[FR Doc. 2011-14298 Filed 6-8-11; 8:45 am]
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