[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 112 (Wednesday, June 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31781-31785]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-15256]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 97-027-1]
International Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard-Setting
Activities
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice and solicitation of comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with legislation implementing the Uruguay Round
of the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade, we are informing the
public of international standard-setting activities of the Office
International des Epizooties, the Secretariat of the International
Plant Protection Convention, and the North American Plant Protection
Organization, and we are soliciting public comment on the standards to
be considered.
ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to
Docket No. 97-027-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS,
Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please
state in your letter that your comments refer to Docket No. 97-027-1,
and state the name of the committee or working group to which your
comments are addressed. Comments received may be inspected at USDA,
Room 1141, South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW.,
Washington, DC, between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday,
except holidays. Persons wishing to inspect comments are requested to
call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to facilitate entry into the comment
reading room.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Greifer, Acting Director,
Trade Support Team, International Services, APHIS, room 1128, South
Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC,
20250, (202) 720-7677; or e-mail jgreifer@aphis.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Legislation implementing the Uruguay Round
of the General Agreements on Tariffs and Trade (the Uruguay Round
Agreements Act) was signed into law (Pub. L. 103-465) by the President
on December 8, 1994. The Uruguay Round Agreements Act amended title IV
of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 2531 et seq.) by adding
a new subtitle F, ``International Standard-Setting Activities.''
Subtitle F requires the President to designate an agency to be
responsible for informing the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary
standard-setting activities of each international standard-setting
organization. The designated agency must inform the public by
publishing a notice in the Federal Register, which provides the
following information: (1) The sanitary or phytosanitary standards
under consideration or planned for consideration by the international
standard-setting organization; and (2) for each sanitary or
phytosanitary standard specified: a description of the consideration or
planned consideration of the standard; whether the United States is
participating or plans to participate in the consideration of the
standard; the agenda for United States participation, if any; and the
agency responsible for representing the United States with respect to
the standard.
Subtitle F defines ``international standard'' as a standard,
guideline, or recommendation: (1) Adopted by the Codex Alimentarius
Commission regarding food safety; (2) developed under the auspices of
the Office International des Epizooties regarding animal health and
zoonoses; (3) developed under the auspices of the Secretariat of the
International Plant Protection Convention in cooperation with the North
American Plant Protection Organization regarding plant health; or (4)
established by or developed under any other international organization
agreed to by the member countries of the North American Free Trade
Agreement or by member countries of the World Trade Organization.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was created in 1962 by
two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) and the World Health Organization. It is the major international
organization for encouraging international trade in food and protecting
the health and economic interests of consumers.
The Office International des Epizooties (OIE) was created in Paris,
France, in 1924, with the signing of an international agreement by 28
countries. The OIE facilitates intergovernmental cooperation to prevent
the spread of contagious diseases in animals, assists in the
development of animal production through improved health information,
and shares scientific progress among its members. The OIE provides the
major international forum for discussion and agreement on
recommendations and proposals on topics such as disease control,
technical cooperation, trade standards, and the exchange of research
and disease information.
The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), in effect
since 1952, is a multilateral treaty, administered by FAO, that
promotes ``* * * common and effective action to prevent the spread and
introduction of pests of plants and plant products and to promote
measures for their control (IPPC Preamble).'' The IPPC Secretariat,
established within the FAO in 1993, works with plant protection
organizations at the national and regional levels to harmonize plant
quarantine activities worldwide, facilitate the dissemination of
phytosanitary information, strengthen
[[Page 31782]]
international cooperation, and support technical assistance to
developing countries.
The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) was
created in 1976 to coordinate plant protection activities in Canada,
the United States, and Mexico. NAPPO provides a mechanism by which the
three countries can exchange information related to plant pest control.
NAPPO conducts its business through permanent and ad hoc committees and
annual meetings of the three member countries. NAPPO cooperates with
other regional plant protection organizations and the FAO to achieve
the objectives of the IPPC.
The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established on January 1,
1995, as the common international institution for the conduct of trade
relations among the members in matters related to the Uruguay Round
Agreements. The WTO is the successor to the General Agreements on
Tariffs and Trade. U.S. membership in the WTO was approved by Congress
when it enacted the Uruguay Round Agreements Act.
The President, pursuant to Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23, 1995
(60 FR 15845), designated the Secretary of Agriculture as the official
responsible for informing the public of the sanitary and phytosanitary
(SPS) standard-setting activities of Codex, OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO. This
responsibility was delegated to the United States Department of
Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) for Codex
activities and Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for
OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO activities.
FSIS is responsible for publishing an annual notice in the Federal
Register to inform the public of SPS standard-setting activities for
Codex. APHIS is responsible for publishing notice of OIE, IPPC, and
NAPPO activities related to international standards.
The United States is a participant in each of the following
activities, and APHIS is the agency responsible for representing the
United States with respect to these standards. In some cases, working
groups and committees have not yet set meeting dates and locations or
determined specific standards to be discussed. Also, because working
groups and the issues they address are not static, this list may not
present a complete picture of OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO SPS standard-setting
activities for the coming year.
OIE Standard Setting Activities
1. Committee/Working Group: General Session.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Delegate--Dr. Joan Arnoldi, Deputy
Administrator, Veterinary Services, APHIS, Washington, D.C.; Alternate
delegate--Dr. Alex Thiermann, Regional Director (Europe, Africa, and
Asia), International Services, APHIS, Brussels, Belgium.
General Purpose: Establish, review, and adopt international
standards dealing with animal health.
Date of Meeting: May (annually).
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Animal health standards related to trade,
including risk assessment standards, regionalization, and specific
disease issues.
2. Committee/Working Group: Regional Commission for the Americas.
Agency Participant(s): Dr. Joan Arnoldi.
General Purpose: The Regional Commission for the Americas is one of
four OIE Regional Commissions. Regional Commissions nominate candidates
for election to the expert Commissions and Working Groups, discuss
regional animal health issues, and propose topics of regional concern
as agenda items or for scientific review at upcoming meetings of the
OIE General Session.
Dates of Meetings: May and December or January (twice annually).
Location of Meetings: Variable.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Location of regional office for the
Americas, animal health diseases control issues of regional concern.
3. Committee/Working Group: Standards Commission.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. James Pearson, Director, National
Veterinary Services Laboratory, APHIS, Ames, IA.
General Purpose: The Standards Commission recommends changes in
international standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines. These
changes, when approved by the General Session, are published in the OIE
Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines.
Dates of Meetings: February and September (twice annually).
Location of Meetings: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Review and recommend revisions to
international diagnostic test standards published in the OIE Manual of
Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines; review OIE reference
laboratories, OIE reference sera, laboratory quality assurance, and
make recommendations to the OIE Animal Health Code Commission; discuss
which diagnostic procedures would be most appropriately prescribed for
specific animal and poultry diseases.
4. Committee/Working Group: International Animal Health Code
Commission.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. Alex Thiermann.
General Purpose: The Code Commission develops disease-specific
recommendations for international standards regarding the movement of
animals and animal products. The Code Commission also develops generic
standards for animal transport, regionalization and risk assessment
procedures, surveillance and monitoring guidelines, and procedures for
evaluating animal health infrastructures. When adopted by the General
Session, these standards are published in the OIE International Animal
Health Code, the WTO-recognized manual of standards for international
movement of animals and animal products.
Dates of Meetings: January and September (twice annually).
Location of Meetings: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: The Code Commission reviews and updates
the Code after proposed changes are circulated to member countries for
comments. Updates are submitted for adoption at the General Session.
5. Committee/Working Group: Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Other
Epizootics Commission.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): There is no Agency or U.S. member on
the FMD Commission.
General Purpose: The FMD and Other Epizootics Commission monitors
the world status of FMD and other major animal diseases and prepares
recommendations for adoption by the General Assembly.
Dates of Meetings: The Commission meets when called by the Director
General.
Location of Meetings: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Current issues facing the Commission:
International standards for FMD serological testing, protocols for
endorsement of FMD-free areas, standards for epidemiological
surveillance for contagious bovine pleuropneumonia, and surveillance
and monitoring standards for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
6. Committee/Working Group: Fish Diseases Commission.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): There is no Agency or U.S. member on
the Fish Diseases Commission. However, Dr. J. R. Winton, Research Team
Leader at Northwest Biological Science Center in Seattle, WA, is a
U.S.-citizen observer.
General Purpose: The Fish Diseases Commission drafted an Aquatic
Animal Health Code and a Diagnostic Manual
[[Page 31783]]
for Aquatic Animal Diseases that contain international standards for
fish diseases. These manuals have been approved by the General Session.
Date of Meeting: September (annually).
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Current activities of the Fish Diseases
Commission: Continual updating of the OIE Fish Disease Manuals,
preparation of the annual OIE report on the world-wide status of fish
diseases, and planning and hosting international conferences on current
topics in aquatic animal health.
7. Committee/Working Group: Ad Hoc Working Group on Biotechnology.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. John R. Gorham, Animal Disease
Research Unit, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Pacific Western
Area, is President of the Working Group.
General Purpose: The Ad Hoc Working Group on Biotechnology reviews
the biotechnological aspects of each chapter of the OIE Manual for
Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines and prepares an annual report and
recommendations dealing with biotechnology for consideration by the
General Session. The Working Group has also developed an international
database on sources of biotechnologically engineered vaccines and
diagnostic reagents.
Date of Meeting: The Working Group meets when called by the
Director General.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Current issues facing the Working Group:
Ongoing reviews of diagnostic test kits, applications of genetic
engineering to animal health, veterinary products developed using
biotechnology, and possible uses of new biotechnological techniques in
veterinary medicine.
8. Committee/Working Group: Working Group on Veterinary Drug
Registration.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. Sharon R. Thompson, Special
Assistant to the Director, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and
Drug Administration, USDA.
General Purpose: Prepares recommendations for the General Session.
Date of Meeting: Every 2 years.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Current issues facing the group: Planning
for the upcoming session of the International Technical Consultations
on Veterinary Drug Registration, developing training programs for
veterinary drug registration officials of OIE member countries, and
assisting an OIE ad hoc group in developing draft international
guidelines for veterinary drug registration.
9. Committee/Working Group: Working Group on Informatics and
Epidemiology.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): There is no Agency or U.S. member on
the Working Group. However, Dr. Steve Weber, Acting Director, Centers
for Animal Health and Epidemiology, APHIS, Fort Collins, CO, serves as
a consultant to the working group.
General Purpose: The Working Group on Informatics and Epidemiology
develops programs to increase the efficiency of OIE communications and
to assist animal health officials of member countries to more
effectively utilize contemporary communications technology. One project
of the Working Group is HandiStatus, an information network on animal
diseases of international importance.
Date of Meeting: The Working Group meets when called by the
Director General.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: The Working Group is currently developing
a Windows version of HandiStatus and designing and developing the OIE
Web Page.
10. Committee/Working Group: Working Group on Wildlife Diseases.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. Victor Nettles, Director,
Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study, College of Veterinary
Medicine, University of Georgia, and Dr. M.H. Woodford (Working Group
Chairman).
General Purpose: The Working Group addresses issues involving the
relationship between diseases of wildlife and those of domestic animals
and poultry.
Date of Meeting: The Working Group meets when called by the
Director General, usually annually in the summer or fall.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Some issues currently facing the Working
Group are: development of reporting methods for wildlife diseases
(particularly those naturally transmissible between domesticated and
wild species); facilitating worldwide wildlife disease surveillance and
the applicability of routine diagnostic tests to wildlife species; and
problems related to propagation of wildlife species in captivity and
the disease hazards associated with their release from zoos or game
farms.
11. Committee/Working Group: Ad Hoc Working Group on Animal Disease
Categorization.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. William D. Hueston, Associate Dean,
Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.
General Purpose: The Working Group is considering changes in
disease categorization used to determine the urgency of reporting and
the placement of certain diseases on OIE Lists A, B, or C. The Working
Group submitted a report to the Code Commission suggesting changes in
categorization criteria. The proposed changes are being reviewed by the
Code Commission. After the Code Commission reviews the report, it will
be presented for review by the General Session.
Date of Meeting: The Working Group meets when called by the
Director General.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: The issue currently facing this working
Group is to determine how frequently certain diseases should be
reported to the OIE.
12. Committee/Working Group: Ad Hoc Group on Transmissible
Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs): Coordination of Research and
Epidemiological Studies.
Agency/U.S. Participant(s): Dr. Linda Detwiler, Veterinary
Services, APHIS, Robbinsville, NJ.
General Purpose: The Group reported its findings on TSEs and BSE to
the FMD Commission and developed a separate report on TSE research
needs.
Date of Meeting: The group is currently inactive.
Location of Meeting: Paris, France.
Major Discussion/Agenda: Currently there are no issues facing this
Working Group.
For further reference, the OIE standards are contained in two OIE
publications, the ``International Animal Health Code'' and the ``OIE
Manual of Standards for Diagnostic Tests and Vaccines.'' Staff
veterinarians with National Center for Import and Export, Veterinary
Services, APHIS, each have copies of these publications. The
publications may also be ordered from the OIE web page at http://
www.oie.org.
IPPC Standard Setting Activities
There is no rigid structure for development of draft IPPC
standards. In some cases, the IPPC Secretariat may form an
international working group to draft a standard deemed a priority by
FAO. In most cases, however, draft IPPC standards originate from
industry, State or provincial governments, or other interested parties;
they are submitted to the IPPC Secretariat through the representative
organization of the member country (APHIS) or through the regional
plant protection organization
[[Page 31784]]
(NAPPO). The IPPC Secretariat refers draft standards to the Committee
of Experts on Phytosanitary Measures (CEPM). The CEPM considers the
draft standards and recommends action; the draft standards are
submitted either to FAO for approval or to member countries for
consultation and comment (country consultation). The FAO approval
process involves review by several bodies--the FAO Committee on
Agriculture (COAG), FAO Council, and FAO Conference--before standards
are adopted.
Technical experts from the United States have participated directly
in working groups and indirectly as reviewers of all current IPPC draft
standards. In addition, documents and positions developed by APHIS and
NAPPO have served as the basis for many of the standards adopted to
date. A range of standards are currently moving through different
stages of development, review, and approval. The status of all IPPC
standards (existing, drafted, and proposed) is summarized below:
I. Reference Standards (completed but subject to revision).
a. Plant Quarantine Principles as Related to Trade, adopted in
1993.
b. Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms, revised in September 1995.
c. Policy and Standards for Construction of International
Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs), adopted in May 1994.
d. International Plant Protection Convention, revised in April
1997.
II. Completed Standards (approved by the FAO Committee on
Agriculture and FAO Council and adopted by FAO Conference in
November 1995).
a. Guidelines for Pest Risk Analysis (PRA).
b. Code of Conduct for the Import and Release of Exotic
Biological Control Agents.
c. Requirements for the Establishment of Pest Free Areas.
III. Draft Standards (currently being finalized).
a. Guidelines for Survey and Monitoring Systems, revised and
approved by the CEPM in May 1996, adopted by COAG in April 1997.
b. Framework for an Export Certification System, revised and
approved by the CEPM in May 1996, adopted by COAG in April 1997.
c. Inspection Methodology--redrafted for review by the October
1997 CEPM and possible country consultation.
IV. Draft Supplementary Standards (require additional expert
review).
a. PRA, Pest Categorization.
b. PRA, Economic Impact Assessment.
c. PRA, Probability of Pest Introduction.
d. PRA, Pest Management.
e. Procedures for Determining Freedom of an Area--Citrus Canker,
drafted in October 1995; supplement to the Guidelines for Survey and
Monitoring standard which is currently under review by citrus canker
experts.
The four PRA supplementary standards (a through d) were combined
into one integrated PRA supplementary standard in 1996. This
integrated supplementary standard was not approved by the CEPM
pending further work; upon approval by the CEPM (possibly in October
1997) the document will go for country consultation.
V. New Standards (in initial draft stage).
a. Post-entry Quarantine Facilities, postponed since 1996, no
draft to date.
b. Pest Free Production Sites, drafted in October 1995, may be
finalized by CEPM in October 1997 for FAO adoption.
c. Eradication, drafted in November 1995, may be finalized by
CEPM in October 1997 for FAO adoption.
d. Guidelines for Import Regulations, drafted in April 1996,
will be reviewed by CEPM in October 1997 for country consultation.
e. Phytosanitary Certification (supplementing annexes to the
Convention), drafted August 1996, will be reviewed by CEPM in
October 1997 for country consultation.
f. Pest Status Reports (previously referred to as Pest Data
Sheets), drafted in March 1997, will be reviewed by CEPM in October
1997 for country consultation.
g. Pest Management (Quarantine Security), working group proposed
for 1997.
h. Dispute Resolution, proposed by some members as a new
priority.
i. Regulated Non-quarantine Pests, proposed by some members as a
new priority.
Further information on the IPPC standards is available from the
United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organization web page at: http://
faowfs0a.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/agricult/agp/agpp/PQ/Default.htm.
Revision of the IPPC
The IPPC was amended in 1979 in response to changing plant pest
conditions and quarantine concerns. The amendment came into force in
1991 upon ratification by two-thirds of the IPPC signatory countries.
However, the current IPPC does not directly recognize SPS principles
and obligations. Nor does it discuss the harmonization of phytosanitary
measures through standards. In October 1995, IPPC signatory countries
agreed to revise the IPPC again in response to changes in global
agriculture, including the requirements of the SPS Agreement regarding
the development and application of international phytosanitary
standards.
The IPPC Secretariat gathered recommendations from signatory
countries regarding potential revisions to the current scope, coverage,
and provisions of the IPPC. In March 1996, plant quarantine experts
from various signatory countries met to discuss and develop draft text
for the revised IPPC. In January 1997, IPPC signatory countries met in
Rome to further negotiate changes to the revised text. Due to an
inability to resolve several key issues over the course of the
Technical Consultation, the Consultation did not produce a final
revised text to submit to FAO for approval.
Following the January Technical Consultations, the COAG established
an open-ended working group to finalize the revision. This working
group developed a final revised text which was presented to the COAG in
April 1997. The COAG adopted the revised text and will submit it to FAO
Council and legal experts in June 1997 for consideration. If Council
approves the revised text, it will be submitted to Conference for final
approval in November 1997. If approved, the revised IPPC will be
distributed to signatory countries in January 1998.
NAPPO Standard Setting Activities
Current information on NAPPO policies, standard setting activities,
U.S. participants, and meeting agendas and dates is available on the
NAPPO home page at http://www.nappo.org. Interested individuals may
also contact Marshall Kirby, current APHIS representative on the APHIS
NAPPO Standards Panel, at (301) 734-8262.
NAPPO Standards Panel
The NAPPO Standards Panel handles or supports development of NAPPO
standards and other cross-commodity issues, reviews proposed
international standards, and recommends NAPPO positions on proposed
international standards. At the July 1997 meeting, the Panel will
develop a work plan for the upcoming year. Issues to be considered
include:
a. Review of existing NAPPO and international standards for
equivalency; and
b. Planning for NAPPO development of, or input into, new or revised
regional and international standards.
In addition, the Standards Panel supports the work of other NAPPO
panels on standards development. Following is a summary of panel
charges as they relate to the development of standards (see the NAPPO
home page for the most up-to-date information, including a list of U.S.
participants on the panels):
Accreditation Panel
The Panel will finalize the draft standard, The accreditation of
individuals to issue phytosanitary certificates, for approval by the
NAPPO Executive Committee (EC) at the 1997 NAPPO Annual Meeting
(October 21-24).
[[Page 31785]]
Biological Control Panel
The Panel will:
a. Develop a framework, with timelines, for the development of
science-based guidelines to harmonize regulations and protocols for the
importation, quarantine, and release of exotic biological control
agents; and
b. Revise and resubmit draft of NAPPO guidelines for petition for
release of exotic phytophagous insects and mites for the biological
control of weeds in the NAPPO Standards format.
Biotechnology Panel
The Panel will:
a. Develop a NAPPO biotechnology standard, taking into
consideration existing national and international standards; and
b. Explore development of a NAPPO release policy for wild types of
maize (cotton and tomato) and consider whether it can be included in
the standard.
Forestry Panel
The Panel will:
a. Develop a NAPPO standard for the movement of Christmas trees
within and among NAPPO member countries;
b. Harmonize gypsy moth regulations among NAPPO member countries;
c. Develop a NAPPO standard for the movement of wood (including
dunnage); and
d. Review the European Plant Protection Organization list of
forestry words/definitions for possible adoption by NAPPO; propose
alternatives for those considered inappropriate.
Fruit Fly Panel
The Panel will:
a. Complete the list of quarantine significant fruit flies for the
NAPPO region and member countries; and
b. Prepare NAPPO standards pertaining to survey procedures and
phytosanitary procedures for quarantine significant fruit flies.
Fruit Tree and Grapevine Nursery Stock Certification Standard Panel
The Panel will:
a. Complete the grapevine portion of the Fruit Tree and Grapevine
Nursery Stock Certification Standard in time for EC approval at the
1997 annual meeting; and
b. Proceed with other components of the standard.
Grains Panel
The Panel will:
a. Review the list of weed species intercepted by Mexico in
imported consignments of wheat grain for processing from other NAPPO
countries and determine which species meet the NAPPO definition of
quarantine pest;
b. Determine which phytosanitary measures will reduce the
probability of introduction of weed species that are determined to be
quarantine pests into Mexico's territories;
c. Review the Tilletia controversa (dwarf bunt) PRA conducted by
Mexico in March 1996 and recommend the pest status for this species in
the NAPPO region; and
d. Complete development of a NAPPO sampling protocol for the
examination of railway (box) cars for (1) the presence of wheat grains
and (2) the presence of Karnal bunted wheat grains that meets the
quarantine security requirements of NAPPO member countries.
Hemispheric Training Center Panel
The Panel will continue with the design of a Hemispheric Training
Center to enable plant protection staffs in Western Hemisphere
countries to build and strengthen plant health infrastructures and to
harmonize international plant protection and quarantine systems.
Irradiation Panel
The NAPPO Irradiation Standard, developed by the Irradiation Panel,
was approved by the EC in April 1997. There are no current charges to
this panel.
Pest Risk Analysis (PRA) Panel
The Panel will:
a. Develop guidelines for the harmonized implementation and
application of the NAPPO PRA Standard and consider possible amendment
of the standard;
b. Compare and contrast how individual NAPPO member countries apply
the NAPPO PRA Standard using, as a case study, the PRAs which each
country has prepared on Chrysanthemum white rust; and
c. Analyze the Chrysanthemum white rust PRAs prepared by NAPPO
member countries to determine the status of the causal agent of this
disease as a quarantine pest in the NAPPO region.
Potato Panel
The Panel will:
a. Advance the NAPPO Potato Standard towards becoming an
international standard; and
b. Convene a subgroup to harmonize and/or determine equivalencies
among diagnostic tests for Potato Virus Y Strain N within the NAPPO
region.
Comments on standards being considered or to be considered by any
of the committees or working groups listed above may be sent to APHIS
as directed under the heading ADDRESSES.
Done in Washington, DC, this 4th day of June 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 97-15256 Filed 6-10-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
