[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 91 (Thursday, May 12, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-11486]


[[Page Unknown]]

[Federal Register: May 12, 1994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. 93-149-2]

 

Importation of Animal Products and Byproducts From Countries 
Where BSE Exists; Removal of Portugal

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are amending our regulations by removing Portugal from the 
list of countries where bovine spongiform encephalopathy exists. 
Portugal had been added to the list in December 1993 after the disease 
was diagnosed in cattle in that country. We are now removing Portugal 
from the list of countries where bovine spongiform encephalopathy 
exists because epidemiological investigations have revealed that the 
cattle in which the disease was detected had been imported into 
Portugal from Great Britain, and that all suspect animals were 
destroyed. This action will relieve certain prohibitions or 
restrictions on the importation of certain fresh, chilled, and frozen 
meat, and certain other animal products and animal byproducts derived 
from ruminants that have been in Portugal.

EFFECTIVE DATE: May 27, 1994.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. John W. Cougill, Staff 
Veterinarian, Import-Export Products Staff, National Center for Import-
Export, Veterinary Services, APHIS, USDA, room 759, Federal Building, 
6505 Belcrest Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782, (301) 436-7834.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 9 CFR parts 94 and 95 (referred to below as the 
regulations) govern the importation of meat, animal products, animal 
byproducts, hay, and straw into the United States in order to prevent 
the introduction of various animal diseases, including bovine 
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
    BSE is a neurological disease of bovine animals and other 
ruminants. The disease is not known to be contagious. The major means 
of spread of BSE appears to be through the use of ruminant feed 
containing protein and other products from ruminants infected with BSE. 
Therefore, BSE could become established in the United States if 
materials carrying the BSE agent, such as certain meat, animal 
products, or animal byproducts derived from ruminants in countries in 
which BSE exists, were imported into the United States and fed to 
ruminants.
    Sections 94.18 and 95.4 of the regulations prohibit or restrict the 
importation of certain meat, animal products, and animal byproducts 
derived from ruminants that have been in countries in which BSE exists, 
and Sec. 96.2(b) prohibits the importation of ruminant casings from 
countries in which BSE exists. Those countries are listed in Sec. 94.18 
of the regulations.
    In an interim rule published in the Federal Register on December 
13, 1993 (58 FR 65103-65104, Docket No. 93-149-1) and effective on 
December 7, 1993, we amended the regulations by adding Portugal to the 
list of countries where BSE exists after the disease was detected in 
cattle in Portugal.
    We solicited comments concerning the interim rule for a 60-day 
comment period ending February 11, 1994. We received three comments by 
that date, all of which opposed the interim rule. The comments were 
sent by a representative of a U.S. trade association, a U.S. 
manufacturer, and a representative of the Commission of the European 
Communities. Two of the commenters opposed the interim rule because of 
its effect on the importation of certain animal products from Portugal; 
the third commenter urged us to consider updated information regarding 
Portugal's epidemiological investigation of the situation.
    A report from the Portuguese Ministry of Agriculture to the Office 
of International Epizootics and the European Economic Union stated that 
BSE had been detected in one cow and suspected in three other cows, all 
of which had been imported into Portugal from Great Britain, where BSE 
is known to exist. This report led to our December 1993 interim rule 
adding Portugal to the list of countries where BSE is known to exist.
    Subsequent epidemiological investigations conducted by Portuguese 
veterinary officials revealed that the infected animal, an 8-year-old 
Holstein-Friesian cow, was born in Great Britain in 1984 and imported 
into Portugal from Great Britain in 1987. The affected cow and the 
three suspect cows were destroyed and the premises placed under 
quarantine and official control throughout the epidemiological 
investigation. There have been no reports of any additional animals in 
Portugal being affected with BSE.
    In the course of their investigation, Portuguese veterinary 
officials established that no rendered products of animal origin were 
ever imported for animal feed. In February 1990, the Portuguese 
Government prohibited the importation of live cattle and all raw 
materials and byproducts of animal origin from Great Britain, Northern 
Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. Additionally, all livestock in 
Portugal, both domestic and imported, are subject to official 
supervision and veterinary controls established at the national level. 
These veterinary controls include an official registry system, animal 
identification, and monitoring of all animal movement. Diagnostic 
capabilities for BSE are available at national veterinary laboratories 
in Lisbon and Porto.
    Therefore, based on the comments received, on the epidemiological 
information provided by Portuguese veterinary officials, and on the 
results of our continuing study of the situation described in the 
December 1993 interim rule, we are removing Portugal from the list of 
countries where BSE is known to exist.

Effective Date

    This is a substantive rule that relieves restrictions and, pursuant 
to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, may be made effective less than 30 
days after publication in the Federal Register.
    Prompt implementation is needed to relieve unnecessary restrictions 
on the importation of certain fresh, chilled, and frozen meat, and 
certain other animal products and animal byproducts derived from 
ruminants that have been in Portugal. With these restrictions lifted, 
U.S. importers will be able to resume their importation of the animal 
products and animal byproducts described above. Portuguese producers 
and exporters that had been denied these U.S. markets by our December 
1993 interim rule will be able to resume their business with the United 
States.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866.
    For this action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its 
review process required by Executive Order 12866.
    The provisions of this rule will not have a significant economic 
impact. The December 1993 interim rule that placed Portugal on the list 
of countries in which BSE exists had the effect of restricting the 
importation of some animal products and prohibiting the importation of 
others. Natural sausage casings were the only affected commodity that 
had been imported from Portugal in quantities sufficient to cause any 
economic impact.
    This rule will remove the prohibition on the importation of natural 
sausage casings of ruminant origin from Portugal. About 20 small U.S. 
entities had been importing natural sausage casings from Portugal prior 
to the December 1993 interim rule. None of the companies had been 
totally dependent on Portugal for sausage casings, as Portugal supplied 
only 2.5 percent of natural sausage casings imported into the United 
States. This rule will have a negligible economic impact on these small 
entities. Additionally, price and competition in the United States will 
not be affected.
    Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action will 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.

Executive Order 12778

    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12778, Civil 
Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws and 
regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no 
retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings 
before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This rule contains no information collection or recordkeeping 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.).

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 94

    Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock, Meat and meat products, Milk, 
Poultry and poultry products, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.
    Accordingly, 9 CFR part 94 is amended as follows:

PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL 
PLAGUE), VELOGENIC VISCEROTROPIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE 
FEVER, HOG CHOLERA, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: 
PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 94 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 147a, 150ee, 161, 162, and 450; 19 U.S.C. 
1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a, 134a, 134b, 134c, and 134f; 31 U.S.C. 
9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331, 4332; 7 CFR 2.17, 2.51, and 371.2(d).

    2. In Sec. 94.18, paragraph (a) is revised to read as follows:


Sec. 94.18  Ruminant meat and edible products from ruminants that have 
been in countries where bovine spongiform encephalopathy exists.

    (a) Bovine spongiform encephalopathy exists in the following 
countries: France, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Republic of 
Ireland, Oman, and Switzerland.
* * * * *
    Done in Washington, DC, this 5th day of May 1994.
Lonnie J. King.
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 94-11486 Filed 5-11-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P