PORTUGAL'S OCT/2006 TRADE COMPLIANCE AND

UNCLAS LISBON 002202 SIPDIS SIPDIS COMMERCE FOR TCC/4110 MICHAEL ROLLIN USTR FOR BRUCE HIRSH STATE FOR EB/TPP/MTA ELIZA KOCH USDA FOR ITP/FAS CHUCK BERTSCH BRUSSELS FOR FRAN ALBERS-SCHOENBERG E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ECON ETRD PO SUBJECT: PORTUGAL'S OCT/2006 TRADE COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING REPORT REF: STATE 152063 SUMMARY -------------- ¶1. As a member of the European Union (EU),Portugal is obligated to follow all EU directives regulating trade. As such, many of the trade issues in Portugal are similar to those in other EU member states. For 2006, issues particular to Portugal involve waste management. END SUMMARY. COMPLIANCE SUCCESS: WASTE MANAGEMENT -------------- ¶2. In 2002, the EU adopted the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) directive 96/EC aimed at minimizing waste from select products, encouraging recycling and reuse, and improving environmental performance. EU member states were required to transpose this directive by August 2005 and create in their individual countries, an on-line tracking system for foreign company registrations and an official oversight committee. ¶3. By September 2005, Portugal had not established an official oversight committee, nor created an on-line registration system. As a result, numerous U.S. companies were unable to register and received heavy fines. Post broached this issue with the GOP and in early 2006, Post was able to negotiate an agreement to allow U.S. companies to register manually until Portugal met the requirements of the WEEE directive. U.S. companies involved were reimbursed and Post has received no additional complaints regarding this issue. PORTUGAL,S COMPLIANCE AND MONITORING TEAM MEMBERS -------------- -------------- ¶4. POL/ECON: Tiffany McGriff (MCGRIFFTL@STATE.GOV) FAS: Stephen Hammond (HAMMONDSC@STATE.GOV) FCS TDY (Oct-Dec 2006): Joel Reynoso (JOEL.REYNOSO@MAIL.DOC.GOV) FCS TDY (Jan-Mar 2007): Tom Strauss PERM FCS (beginning in March 2007): Dillon Banerjee Hoffman