[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 175 (Friday, September 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49267-49269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23623]
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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
North American Free Trade Agreement: Sanitary and Phytosanitary
Committee
AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with legislation implementing the North American
Free Trade Agreement, we are informing the public of a meeting to be
held Tuesday, September 21, 1999 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this meeting is to solicit
public comment on proposed agenda items for the next scheduled meeting
of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Sanitary and
Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee, November 2-3, 1999, in Ottawa, Canada.
It is also to seek public input in identifying any new issues of
concern that should be considered for the agenda. Representatives from
each of the SPS Committee's eight Technical Working Groups (TWGs) will
also be present to apprise the public of each TWG's progress and to
respond to questions.
The November meeting will be the Eighth Meeting of the NAFTA SPS
Committee and will include co-chairs or other representatives from the
TWGs that report to the Committee. The purpose of the NAFTA SPS
Committee is to address sanitary and phytosanitary trade issues
affecting the entry of agricultural products among the three member
countries.
DATES: The public meeting date will take place Tuesday, September 21,
1999, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., USDA South Building (at the back of USDA
cafeteria, 1st floor), 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC. Written comments should be submitted by September 16,
1999.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn T. Cohen, Foreign Agricultural
Service, International Trade Policy, Food Safety and Technical Services
Division, Room 5545, South Building, 14th Street and Independence
Avenue SW, Washington DC, 20250, (202) 720-1301; or e-mail
ofsts@fas.usda.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Article 722 of NAFTA, the
NAFTA SPS Committee is responsible for facilitating: (a) the
enhancement of food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary conditions in
the terrorizes of the parties; (b) activities of the Parties pursuant
to Articles 713 and 714 relating respectively to international
standards and equivalence; (c) technical cooperation; and (d)
consultation on specific bilateral issues. An SPS issue can be raised
by any party and is sent to the Committee for consideration. The
Committee will either consider the matter itself or refer the issue to
an individual, working group or relevant standard setting organization
for technical advice.
Since the entry into force of NAFTA on January 1, 1994, the NAFTA
SPS Committee has met on seven separate occasions: March 24, 1994, in
Washington, DC; October 6, 1994, in Washington, DC; September 21, 1995,
in Mexico City; February 14, 1996, in Mexico City; June 20, 1996, in
Ottawa; November 18-19, 1997, in Washington, DC; and November 4-5,
1998, in Mexico City. The Committee meets at least once a year with
meetings rotating among the three countries. Starting in 1998, the
dates for meetings of the NAFTA SPS Committee are fixed for the first
week in November. Each TWG is to send at least one representative to
the annual Committee meeting to report on its progress and activity.
The eight TWGs under the NAFTA SPS Committee and their points of
contacts are as follows:
[[Page 49268]]
1. Animal Health
A. Point of Contact: Dr. Alfonso Torres, Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA.
B. Status: Bilateral working groups exist within the larger TWG.
The North American Animal Health Committee is a trilateral forum.
C. Work in Progress: 1. Harmonization of veterinary biologics
licensing processes and standardization of import policies; and 2.
Establishing a regional approach on transmissible spongiform
encephalopathies (TSEs).
D. Future Work Plan: The North American Animal Health Meeting
issues: 1. Harmonization of diagnostic services; 2. common approach for
disease freedom recognition; 3. emergency preparedness; 4. approach to
evaluate the veterinary services within member countries; 5. North
American interaction with OIE; and, 6. management of the North American
FMD vaccine bank.
E. Meeting Schedule: The North American Animal Health Committee has
been meeting since 1972. The 29th Annual Tripartite meeting took place
in Victoria, Canada, on April 20-22, 1999. The next meeting is
scheduled for April, 10-14, 2000 in Oaxaca, Mexico.
2. Plant Health, Seeds & Fertilizers
A. Point of Contact: Mr. Ronald Campbell, Phytosanitary Issues
Management, APHIS/USDA.
B. Status: Annual bilateral plant protection meetings are held in
addition to the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)
which is trilateral.
C. Work in Progress: 1. Harmonization of Japanese beetle
regulations; 2. Developing harmonized approach to Asian & European
Gypsy Moth; 3. Equivalency of Greenhouse certification; 4. Recognition
of accredited laboratories for seed certification; and, 5. Panels on
Accreditation, Biological Control, Biotechnology, Citrus, Forestry,
Fruit Flies, Grapevines, Grains, Fruit Trees, Pest Risk Analysis,
Potatoes, and Standards, to discuss issues of mutual concern in each
area.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Recognition of private laboratories; and 2.
NAPPO's priorities for international standards: Regulated non-
quarantine pests, Pest Risk Assessments for Quarantine pests,
Phytosanitary certificates, Regulated pest lists, Notifications of
interceptions and non-compliance, and Wood Dunnage.
E. Meeting Schedule: The 23rd Annual NAPPO meeting will be in
Cancun, Mexico, from October 18-22, 1999. There are 3 NAPPO Working
Group meetings and 3 NAPPO Executive Committee Meetings per year. Each
panel meets at least once during the year.
3. Fish & Fishery Product Inspection
A. Point of Contact: Dr. Philip Spiller, Office of Seafood, Food
and Drug Administration (FDA).
B. Status: This TWG is trilateral and last met March 4-5, 1998 in
San Antonio, Texas.
C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Development of US-Canada Mutual
Recognition Agreement on seafood inspection; 2. Exchange of letters
between US and Canada regarding seafood HACCP and inspection; 3.
Negotiation of US-Canada equivalence agreement regarding molluscan
shellfish inspection programs; 4. Development of criteria for seafood
equivalence determination as part of the process for reaching an
agreement; and, 5. Approaches for training and accreditation in HACCP/
QMP audit and verification.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Continuation of MRA/Equivalence
discussions; 2. Development of a joint protocol on how to conduct
audits of inspection systems; 3. Continuation of the work of the SWG on
Essential Quality and Composition; and 4. Establishment of ``North
American Centers of Expertise'' that would see Canada, Mexico and the
United States potentially combine their efforts on various studies and
research development initiatives.
E. Meeting Schedule: The TWG meets annually with the next meeting
scheduled for October 1999 in Halifax, Canada.
4. Meat, Poultry & Egg Inspection
A. Point of Contact: Dr. John C. Prucha, Food Safety Inspection
Service, USDA.
B. Status: This TWG is trilateral and has met eight times over the
last four years.
C. Work in Progress: 1. Achieving and maintaining equivalency; 2.
Exchange of information on proposed changes; 3. Exchange of information
on foreign system and establishment reviews; 4. Finalizing USDA's
position recognizing Mexico's poultry system as equivalent; and 5.
Exchange of information on import reinspection procedures, including
import inspection standards and inspection procedure for residues of
chemical contaminants.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Harmonization of inspection procedures; 2.
Examination of health certificates; 3. Technical Subgroup addressing
technical inspection matters; activity report presented at each
meeting; and, 4. Coordination of planning & implementation of changes.
E. Meeting Schedule: This TWG meets approximately twice a year,
depending on the availability of its members. It plans to meet again in
the fall or winter 1999/2000.
5. Dairy, Fruits, Vegetables and Processed Foods
A. Point of Contact: Dr. Terry Troxell, Office of Plant & Dairy
Foods & Beverages, FDA.
B. Status: This TWG is bilateral (US-Canada), as representatives
have not yet been identified by Mexico.
C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Discussion of equivalence of US-
Canada Grade A dairy inspection systems; and 2. Harmonization of US-
Canada potato grade system.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Continuation of Equivalence Discussions,
and 2. Full integration of Mexico into the TWG.
E. Meeting Schedule: The first and only meeting of the TWG was in
November 1997. A specific date has not been set for a future meeting.
6. Veterinary Drugs & Feed
A. Point of Contact: Dr. Robert Livingstone, Center for Veterinary
Medicine, FDA.
B. Status: This TWG is bilateral (US-Canada), as a representatives
has not been identified by Mexico. This TWG last met in 1995.
C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Methods harmonization; 2.
Discussions of equivalence of registration systems; and, 3.
Coordination with corresponding Codex activities.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Equivalence of analytical methods for drug
residues; and 2. Integration of Mexico into the TWG.
E. Meeting Schedule: None scheduled at this time.
7. Food Additives and Contaminants
A. Point of Contact: Dr. Alan Rulis, Office of Pre-Market Approval,
FDA.
B. Status: This TWG is trilateral.
C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Harmonization of US-Canada food
additive regulations; and, 2. Discussion of issues and positions for
the Codex Committee on Food Additives & Contaminants (CCFAC).
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Development of joint positions for the
CCFAC; and, 2. Further exploration of potential for joint reviews of
food additives petitions.
E. Meeting Schedule: This TWG last met January 19-20, 1998 in
Mexico City. The next session for this TWG has not been scheduled.
[[Page 49269]]
8. Pesticides
A. Point of Contact: Ms. Marcia Mulkey, Office of Pesticide
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency.
B. Status: This TWG is trilateral, consisting of an Executive
Board, a Secretariat, Technical Subcommittee and Project Teams. This
TWG last met May 24-26, 1999 in San Antonio, Texas.
C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Completed four US/Canada joint
reviews (three reduced risk pesticides and one pheromone); 2. Focused
cooperative work to reevaluate and reregister older chemical pesticides
on organophosphates, carbamates, and B2 carcinogens and agreed to share
information on the associated tolerance reassessment process to
minimize trade problems; 3. Developed clear categories to trade
irritants and a procedure and priority scheme for their resolution; 4.
Harmonized 17 environmental fate and toxicology protocols; 5. Completed
a prototype ecoregion map that will lead to reduced data development
costs for terrestrial field studies; 6. Coordinated development of
field residue data among NAFTA countries to support registration of
pesticides for minor crops; and 7. Developed stakeholder projects to
promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for canola and
cranberries.
D. Future Work Plan: 1. Develop and implement strategic plan for
communicating areas of pesticide regulatory harmonization; 2. Work with
the Departments of Agriculture, growers, and industry to identify and
prioritize registration needs in NAFTA countries to facilitate equal
access to pesticides and avoid potential agricultural impediments to
trade; 3. Investigate the impact of EPA's emergency use exemption
program on Mexican/Canadian growers; 4. Complete the first trinational
review of a pesticide (zoxamide) for use on grapes and potatoes; 5.
Work cooperatively to reevaluate and reregister older chemical
pesticides; 6. Work toward a harmonized approach to pesticide
certification and training; 7. Share information and explore how NAFTA
countries might work together on the evaluation and regulation of
persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances and endocrine
disrupting chemicals; and, 8. Increase interaction between the TWG on
Pesticides and the US-Mexico Pesticide Information Exchange Program.
E. Meeting Schedule: The full TWG, which includes stakeholder
participation, meets annually. The Executive Board meets formally two
times per year. The TWG Executive Board will meet in January 2000 in
Mexico City. The full TWG will have its annual meeting in June 2000 in
Ottowa.
Public Meeting
The public meeting date will take place Tuesday, September 21,
1999, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., USDA South Building (at the back of USDA
cafeteria, 1st floor), 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW,
Washington, DC.
Written Comments
Those persons wishing to submit written comments should provide
five (5) typed copies to John Payne, Director for SPS Affairs, Office
of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th St., NW, Room 421;
Washington, DC 20508. If the submission contains business confidential
information, five copies of a confidential version must also be
submitted. A justification as to why the information contained in the
submission should be treated confidentially must be included in the
submission. In addition, any submissions containing business
confidential information must be clearly marked ``Confidential'' at the
top and bottom of the cover page (or letter) and of each succeeding
page of the submission. The version that does not contain confidential
information should also be clearly marked, at the top and bottom of
each page, ``public version'' or ``non-confidential.''
Written comments submitted in connection with this request, except
for information granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15
CFR 2003.6, will be available for public inspection in the USTR Reading
Room, Room 101, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600
17th Street, NW, Washington, DC. An appointment to review the file may
be made by calling Brenda Webb (202) 395-6186. The Reading Room is open
to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.,
Monday through Friday.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 99-23623 Filed 9-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M
