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