Posted August 30, 2013
The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) requests comments from the public on the interim environmental review of the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), according to the Federal Register Notice, available here.
The Trade Act of 2003 requires the President to “conduct environmental reviews of certain international trade agreements … and report on such reviews” to the Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives and the Finance Committee in the Senate. The environmental review is intended “to ensure that policymakers and the public are informed about reasonably foreseeable environmental impacts of trade agreements (both positive and negative),” to identify ways in which trade and environmental objectives complement each other, and “to help shape appropriate responses if environmental impacts are identified.” The USTR will accept comments through September, 25.
The last day of the 19th round of negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership is set for today. Negotiations have been taking place in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, from August 23-30. More information on the Trans-Pacific Partnership is available on the Office of U.S. Trade Representative’s website, here.
The TPP negotiations include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, Vietnam, and Japan, which joined this year. According to an article by The Sydney Morning Herald, available here, negotiations intensified over the issue of tobacco. Negotiators expressed concern over a US proposal to “give tobacco companies the power to sue governments” describing the remaining issues “sensitive and challenging.” Earlier drafts of the Agreement included a “safe-harbour clause” that would have protected nations like Australia from being sued by tobacco companies for restricting the sale of tobacco products.” A fact sheet from the USTR on the US proposal on tobacco regulation is available here.