Addition of Kosovo in the Export Administration Regulations

AGENCY:

Bureau of Industry and Security, Commerce.

ACTION:

Final rule.

SUMMARY:

The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) is amending the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) to establish export licensing requirements for Kosovo.

DATES:

Effective Date: This rule is effective: September 2, 2008.

ADDRESSES:

Although there is no formal comment period, public comments on this regulation are welcome on a continuing basis. You may submit comments, identified by RIN 0694-AE34, by any of the following methods:

• E-mail: publiccomments@bis.doc.gov. Include “RIN 0694-AE34” in the subject line of the message.
• Fax: (202) 482-3355. Please alert the Regulatory Policy Division, by calling (202) 482-2440, if you are faxing comments.
• Mail or Hand Delivery/Courier: Jeffrey Lynch, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Regulatory Policy Division, 14th St. & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 2705, Washington, DC 20230, Attn: RIN 0694-AE34.

Send comments regarding the collection of information associated with this rule, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to David Rostker, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), by e-mail to David_Rostker@omb.eop.gov, or by fax to (202) 395-7285; and to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Regulatory Policy Division, 14th St. & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 2705, Washington, DC 20230. Comments on this collection of information should be submitted separately from comments on the final rule (i.e. RIN 0694-AE34)—all comments on the latter should be submitted by one of the three methods outlined above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Joan M. Maloney-Roberts, Foreign Policy Division, Office of Nonproliferation Treaty Compliance, Bureau of Industry and Security, Telephone: (202) 482-0171.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

This final rule adds Kosovo to the EAR for export licensing purposes. The United States recognized Kosovo as a sovereign state on February 18, 2008. Specifically, this rule amends the EAR as follows:

1. In Supplement No. 1 to part 738 of the EAR, the Commerce Country Chart is amended by adding “Kosovo”.

2. In Supplement No. 1 to part 740 of the EAR (Country Groups), Country Group B is amended by adding “Kosovo”.

3. Section 740.7(d)(1) of the EAR (Computer Tier 3 destinations) is amended by adding “Kosovo” for License Exception APP purposes.

This rule does not amend Supplement No. 2 to part 745, “States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling, and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction,” to include Kosovo, because Kosovo is not currently a State Party to the Convention.

Although the Export Administration Act expired on August 20, 2001, the President, through Executive Order 13222 of August 17, 2001, 3 CFR, 2001 Comp., p. 783 (2002), as extended most recently by the Notice of July 23, 2008, 72 FR 43603 (July 25, 2008), has continued the Export Administration Regulations in effect under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.

Rulemaking Requirements

1. This final rule has been determined to be not significant for purposes of E.O. 12866.

2. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no person is required to respond to, nor shall any person be subject to a penalty for failure to comply with, a collection of information subject to the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) (PRA), unless that collection of information displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Control Number. This rule contains a collection of information subject to the requirements of the PRA. This collection has been approved by OMB under Control Number 0694-0088 (Multi-Purpose Application), which carries a burden hour estimate of 58 minutes to prepare and submit form BIS-748. This rule is not expected to result in any change for collection purposes. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to David Rostker, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and to the Regulatory Policy Division, Bureau of Industry and Security, Department of Commerce, as indicated in the ADDRESSES section of this rule.

3. This rule does not contain policies with Federalism implications as this term is defined under Executive Order 13132.

4. The provisions of the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) requiring notice of proposed rulemaking, the opportunity for public participation, and a delay in effective date, are inapplicable because this regulation involves a military and foreign affairs function of the United States (see 5 U.S.C. 553(a)(1)). Further, no other law requires that a notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for public comment be given for this final rule. Because a notice of proposed rulemaking and an opportunity for public comment are not required to be given for this rule under 5 U.S.C. 553 or by any other law, the analytical requirements of the Regulatory Flexibility Act (5 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) are not applicable.

Therefore, this regulation is issued in final form. Although there is no formal comment period, public comments on this regulation are welcome on a continuing basis. Comments should be submitted to Jeffery Lynch, U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Regulatory Policy Division, 14th St. & Pennsylvania Avenue, NW., Room 2705, Washington, DC 20230.

List of Subjects

15 CFR Part 738

• Exports

15 CFR Part 740

• Administrative practice and procedure
• Exports
• Reporting and recordkeeping requirements

Accordingly, parts 738 and 740 of the Export Administration Regulations (15 CFR parts 730-799) are amended as follows:

PART 738—[AMENDED]

1. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 738 is revised to read as follows:

Authority: 50 U.S.C. app. 2401 et seq.; 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.; 10 U.S.C. 7420; 10 U.S.C. 7430(e); 22 U.S.C. 287c; 22 U.S.C. 3201 et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 6004; 30 U.S.C. 185(s), 185(u); 42 U.S.C. 2139a; 42 U.S.C. 6212; 43 U.S.C. 1354; 46 U.S.C. app. 466c; 50 U.S.C. app. 5; 22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 7210; E.O. 13026, 61 FR 58767, 3 CFR, 1996 Comp., p. 228; E.O. 13222, 66 FR 44025, 3 CFR, 2001 Comp., p. 783; Notice of July 23, 2008, 73 FR 43603 (July 25, 2008).

2. Supplement No. 1 to part 738 is amended by adding, in alphabetical order, a new entry for “Kosovo” to read as follows:

PART 740—[AMENDED]

3. The authority citation for 15 CFR part 740 continues to read as follows:

Authority: 50 U.S.C. app. 2401 et seq.; 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 7201 et seq.; E.O. 13026, 61 FR 58767, 3 CFR, 1996 Comp., p. 228; E.O. 13222, 66 FR 44025, 3 CFR, 2001 Comp., p. 783; Notice of July 23, 2008, 73 FR 43603 (July 25, 2008).

4. In § 740.7, paragraph (d)(1) is amended by adding, in alphabetical order, “Kosovo”.

Supplement No. 1 to Part 740 [Amended]

5. In Supplement No. 1 to part 740, Country Groups, Country Group B is amended by adding, in alphabetical order, “Kosovo”.