2023-12839. Concurrence With World Organization for Animal Health's Risk Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy for France

AGENCY:

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

We are advising the public of our preliminary concurrence with the World Organization for Animal Health's (WOAH) bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk designation for France. The WOAH recognizes France as being of negligible risk for BSE. We are taking this action based on our review of information supporting the WOAH's risk designation for France.

DATES:

We will consider all comments that we receive on or before August 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES:

You may submit comments by either of the following methods:

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. Enter APHIS–2022–0066 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, then select the Comment button in the list of documents.

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS–2022–0066, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A–03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.

Any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 of the USDA South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, please call (202) 799–7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Rebecca Gordon, Senior Staff Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855–7741; email: [e-mail].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 subpart B, “Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Procedures for Requesting BSE Risk Status Classification With Regard To Bovines” (referred to below as the regulations), set forth the process by which the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies regions for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk. Section 92.5 of the regulations provides that all countries of the world are considered by APHIS to be in one of three BSE risk categories: Negligible risk, controlled risk, or undetermined risk. These risk categories are defined in § 92.1. Any region that is not classified by APHIS as presenting either negligible risk or controlled risk for BSE is considered to present an undetermined risk. The list of those regions classified by APHIS as having either negligible risk or controlled risk can be accessed on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/​aphis/​ourfocus/​animalhealth/​animal-and-animal-product-import-information/​animal-health-status-of-regions. The list can also be obtained by writing to APHIS at Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737–1238.

Under the regulations, APHIS may classify a region for BSE in one of two ways. One way is for regions that have not received a risk classification from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to request classification by APHIS. The other way is for APHIS to concur with the classification given to a country or region by the WOAH.

If the WOAH has classified a region as either BSE negligible risk or BSE controlled risk, APHIS will seek information to support concurrence with the WOAH classification. This information may be publicly available information, or APHIS may request that regions supply the same information given to the WOAH. APHIS will announce in the Federal Register , subject to public comment, its intent to concur with a WOAH classification.

In accordance with this process, we are giving notice in this document that APHIS intends to concur with the WOAH risk classification of the country of France as a region of negligible risk for BSE.

The WOAH recommendation regarding France can be viewed at https://www.woah.org/​en/​disease/​bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy/​. The conclusions of the WOAH Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, regarding France, can be viewed in the “Report of the Meeting of the OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, Virtual, 7 to 23 February 2022” at https://doc.woah.org/​dyn/​portal/​index.xhtml?​page=​alo&​aloId=​42407&​espaceId=​100 (page 81).

After reviewing any comments that we receive, we will announce our final determination regarding the BSE classification of France in the Federal Register , along with a discussion of and response to pertinent issues raised by commenters. If APHIS recognizes France as negligible risk for BSE, the Agency will include this country on the list of regions of negligible risk for BSE that is available to the public on the Agency's website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/​aphis/​ourfocus/​animalhealth/​animal-and-animal-product-import-information/​animal-health-status-of-regions.

Authority:7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301–8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of June 2023.

Michael Watson,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.