[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8210-8216]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4477]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. 96-101-1]


Revision of the International Plant Protection Convention

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and solicitation of comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are giving notice that the International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC), an international treaty developed to control the 
global spread of plant pests, is currently being revised to meet the 
changing needs of plant protection and international trade. The United 
States is a signatory to the IPPC, and the United States Department of 
Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is the lead 
U.S. agency participating in the technical discussions with other 
member countries and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the 
United Nations to revise the IPPC. This notice contains the entire text 
of the current IPPC with guidance on which areas are being considered 
for updates or revisions. We are soliciting public comment on any 
aspect of the scope, coverage, or institutions of the current IPPC.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments received on or 
before April 10, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to 
Docket No. 96-101-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, 
suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please 
state that your comments refer to Docket No. 96-101-1. 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. Robert Griffin, Senior Plant 
Pathologist, Risk Analysis Systems, PPD, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 
117, Riverdale, MD 20737-1228, (301) 734-3576, [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    As the result of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary measures (commonly referred to as the ``SPS 
Agreement''), contracting parties, including the United States, are 
committed to harmonizing their human, animal, and plant health import 
requirements by basing their sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) import 
measures on international standards (SPS Agreement Article 3.1). The 
SPS Agreement recognizes three international standard-setting bodies as

[[Page 8211]]

the official entities for developing health-related standards, 
guidelines, and recommendations (SPS Agreement Article 3.4): Codex 
Alimentarius for food safety standards, International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC) for plant health standards, and Office of 
International Epizootics for animal health standards.

IPPC Membership and Secretariat

    The IPPC, in effect since 1952, is a multilateral treaty 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 treaty is 
administered by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the 
United Nations. Currently, 105 signatory countries adhere to IPPC 
principles. Because of the technical and regulatory nature of plant 
health issues covered by the IPPC, the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) is the lead U.S. agency participating in 
IPPC activity.
    In 1989, FAO member countries considered the creation of an IPPC 
Secretariat to coordinate activities for the IPPC and to support the 
development and administration of international phytosanitary standards 
under the IPPC. The IPPC Secretariat, located at FAO headquarters in 
Rome, Italy, became operational in 1993.

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 signatory countries. In 
October 1995, IPPC contracting parties agreed to revise the IPPC again 
in response to changes in global agriculture and the signing of the WTO 
SPS Agreement promoting the use of international standards, including 
plant health standards developed under the IPPC.
    In June 1995, the IPPC Secretariat took the lead in gathering 
recommendations from countries regarding potential revisions to the 
current scope, coverage, and institutions of the IPPC. The proposed 
revisions were reviewed in September 1995 and formed the basis for 
identifying changes in the text. In March 1996, plant quarantine 
experts from various signatory countries met to further discuss and 
develop the draft text. The resulting second draft is currently under 
review by all signatory countries. The signatory countries met to 
discuss the current amended version of the IPPC at a Technical 
Consultations meeting at FAO headquarters from January 13-17, 1997.
    The IPPC Secretariat set a timetable for reviewing, approving, and 
adopting an amended version of the IPPC by October 1997. However, 
completion of the process is dependent on the progress of the signatory 
countries to propose language acceptable to the majority of contracting 
parties. FAO adoption of the amended IPPC can occur either through 
consensus or by a two-thirds vote of FAO members in favor.
    We are soliciting public comment on any aspect of the scope, 
coverage, or institutions of the current IPPC. The entire text of the 
current IPPC, with guidance on which areas are being considered for 
updates or revisions, follows:

    Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of February 1997.
Terry L. Medley,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
     International Plant Protection       Issues identified for revision
               Convention                    or proposals for review    
------------------------------------------------------------------------
PREAMBLE                                                                
                                                                        
The contracting parties, recognizing     Does not discuss the           
 the usefulness of international          harmonization of phytosanitary
 cooperation in controlling pests of      measures through standards and
 plants and plant products and in         ensuring that measures are not
 preventing their spread, and             unjustified barriers to trade.
 especially their introduction across                                   
 national boundaries, and desiring to                                   
 ensure close coordination of measures                                  
 directed to these ends, have agreed as                                 
 follows:                                                               
                                                                        
ARTICLE I--Purpose and responsibility                                   
                                                                        
1. With the purpose of securing common   Clarify the scope of the       
 and effective action to prevent the      Convention with respect to    
 spread and introduction of pests of      plant protection, plant       
 plants and plant products and to         quarantine, and the           
 promote measures for their control,      environment. Demonstrate      
 the contracting parties undertake to     recognition of SPS principles 
 adopt the legislative, technical, and    and obligations.              
 administrative measures specific in                                    
 this Convention and in supplementary                                   
 agreements pursuant to Article III.                                    
2. Each contracting party shall assume   Clarify the obligations and    
 responsibility for the fulfillment       role of ``regional economic   
 within its territories of all            integration organizations''   
 requirements under this Convention.      such as the European Union    
                                          here and in various other     
                                          articles.                     
                                                                        
ARTICLE II--Scope......................  Clarify scope in Article I and 
                                          use Article II to define key  
                                          terms.                        
                                                                        
1. For the purpose of this Convention    Define key terms by updating   
 the term ``plants'' shall comprise       existing definitions and      
 living plants and parts thereof,         adding new terms.             
 including seeds insofar as the          Proposed terms include:        
 supervision of their importation under   Commission on Phytosanitary   
 Article VI of the Convention or the      Measures, Harmonization,      
 issue of phytosanitary certificates in   Introduction, Pest,           
 respect of them under Articles           Phytosanitary measures,       
 IV(1)(a)(iv) and V of this Convention    Plants, Plant products,       
 may be deemed necessary by contracting   Quarantine pest, Regulated    
 parties; and the term ``plant            article, Secretariat, and     
 products'' shall comprise                Standards.                    
 unmanufactured material of plant        Definitions for quarantine     
 origin (including seeds insofar as       pests and phytosanitary       
 they are not included in the term        measures will be linked to    
 ``plants'') and those manufactured       decisions concerning the scope
 products which, by their nature or       of the Convention with respect
 that of their processing, may create a   to nonquarantine pests.       
 risk for the spread of pests.                                          
2. For the purpose of this Convention,                                  
 the term ``pest'' means any form of                                    
 plant or animal life, or any                                           
 pathogenic agent, injurious or                                         
 potentially injurious to plants or                                     
 plant products; and the term                                           
 ``quarantine pest'' means a pest of                                    
 potential national economic importance                                 
 to the country endangered thereby and                                  
 not yet present there, or present but                                  
 not widely distributed and being                                       
 actively controlled.                                                   

[[Page 8212]]

                                                                        
3. Where appropriate, the provisions of                                 
 this Convention may be deemed by                                       
 contracting parties to extend to                                       
 storage places, conveyances,                                           
 containers, and any other object or                                    
 material capable of harbouring or                                      
 spreading plant pests, particularly                                    
 where international transportation is                                  
 involved.                                                              
4. This Convention applies mainly to                                    
 quarantine pests involved with                                         
 international trade.                                                   
5. The definitions set forth in this                                    
 Article, being limited to the                                          
 application of this Convention, shall                                  
 not be deemed to affect definitions                                    
 established under domestic laws or                                     
 regulations of contracting parties.                                    
                                                                        
ARTICLE III--Supplementary agreements                                   
                                                                        
1. Supplementary agreements applicable   Clarify intent and application;
 to specific regions, to specific         possibly delete or replace    
 pests, to specific plants and plant      with a discussion of regulated-
 products, to specific methods of         non quarantine pests.         
 international transportation of plants                                 
 and plant products, or otherwise                                       
 supplementing the provisions of this                                   
 Convention, may be proposed by the                                     
 Food and Agriculture Organization of                                   
 the United Nations (hereinafter                                        
 referred to as FAO) on the                                             
 recommendation of a contracting party                                  
 or on its own initiative, to meet                                      
 special problems of plant protection                                   
 which need particular attention or                                     
 action.                                                                
2. Any such supplementary agreements                                    
 shall come into force for each                                         
 contracting party after acceptance in                                  
 accordance with the provisions of the                                  
 FAO Constitution and General Rules of                                  
 the Organization.                                                      
                                                                        
ARTICLE IV--National organization for                                   
 plant protection.                                                      
                                         Cover general provisions for a 
1. Each contracting party shall make     Expand scope from cultivated   
 provision, as soon as possible and to    systems to include wild flora.
 the best of its ability, for            Include responsibilities for   
(a) An official plant protection          risk analysis or technical    
 organization with the following main     justifications forming the    
 functions:                               basis for requirements.       
(I) the inspection of growing plants,    Include the designation of pest
 of areas under cultivation (including    free areas as a               
 fields, plantations, nurseries,          responsibility.               
 gardens, and greenhouses), and of       Update the concept of          
 plants and plant products in storage     inspection using surveillance.
 or in transportation, particularly      Note responsibility for issuing
 with the object of reporting the         regulations.                  
 existence, outbreak, and spread of                                     
 plant pests and of controlling those                                   
 pests;                                                                 
(ii) the inspection of consignments of                                  
 plants and plant products moving in                                    
 international traffic, and, where                                      
 appropriate, the inspection of                                         
 consignments of other articles or                                      
 commodities moving in international                                    
 traffic under conditions where they                                    
 may act incidentally as carriers of                                    
 pests of plants and plant products,                                    
 and the inspection and supervision of                                  
 storage and transportation facilities                                  
 of all kinds involved in international                                 
 traffic whether of plants and plant                                    
 products or of other commodities,                                      
 particularly with the object of                                        
 preventing the dissemination across                                    
 national boundaries of pests of plants                                 
 and plant products;                                                    
(iii) the disinfestation or                                             
 disinfection of consignments of plants                                 
 and plant products moving in                                           
 international traffic, and their                                       
 containers (including packing material                                 
 or matter of any kind accompanying                                     
 plants or plant products), storage                                     
 places, or transportation facilities                                   
 of all kinds employed; and                                             
(iv) the issuance of certificates                                       
 relating to phytosanitary condition                                    
 and origin of consignments of plants                                   
 and plant products (hereinafter                                        
 referred to as ``phytosanitary                                         
 certificates'');                                                       
(b) The distribution of information                                     
 within the country regarding the pests                                 
 of plants and plant products and the                                   
 means of their prevention and control;                                 
(c) Research and investigation in the                                   
 field of plant protection.                                             
2. Each contracting party shall submit                                  
 a description of the scope of its                                      
 national organization for plant                                        
 protection and of changes in such                                      
 organization to the Director-General                                   
 of FAO, who shall circulate such                                       
 information to all contracting parties.                                
                                                                        
ARTICLE V--Phytosanitary certificates                                   
                                                                        

[[Page 8213]]

                                                                        
1. Each contracting party shall make     Refer to a standard and/or the 
 arrangements for the issuance of         model annex.                  
 phytosanitary certificates to accord    Consider new certifying        
 with the plant protection regulations    statements.                   
 of other contracting parties, and in    Limit issuance to national     
 conformity with the following            officials but allow for the   
 provisions:                              accreditation of personnel for
(a) Inspection shall be carried out and   supporting activities.        
 certificates issued only by or under    Limit declarations to those    
 the authority of technically qualified   technically justified.        
 and duly authorized officers and in     Recognize electronically       
 such circumstances and with such         equivalent certification.     
 knowledge and information available to                                 
 those officers that the authorities of                                 
 importing countries may accept such                                    
 certificates with confidence as                                        
 dependable documents.                                                  
(b) Each certificate for the export or                                  
 re-export of plants or plant products                                  
 shall be as worded in the Annex to                                     
 this Convention.                                                       
(c) Uncertified alterations or erasures                                 
 shall invalidate the certificates.                                     
2. Each contracting party undertakes                                    
 not to require consignments of plants                                  
 or plant products imported into its                                    
 territories to be accompanied by                                       
 phytosanitary certificates                                             
 inconsistent with the models set out                                   
 in the Annex to this Convention. Any                                   
 requirement for additional                                             
 declarations shall be kept to a                                        
 minimum.                                                               
                                                                        
ARTICLE VI--Requirements in relation to  Reorganize in terms of rights  
 imports.                                 and obligations.              
                                                                        
1. With the aim of preventing the        Clarify sovereign authority    
 introduction of pests of plants and      with respect to other         
 plant products into their territories,   agreements.                   
 contracting parties shall have full     Clarify right to restrict pests
 authority to regulate the entry of       and biocontrol organisms.     
 plants and plant products and to this   Extend reporting for           
 end, may:                                noncompliance beyond          
(a) Prescribe restrictions or             commercially certified        
 requirements concerning the              consignments.                 
 importation of plants or plant          Note obligation to use         
 products;                                international standards.      
(b) Prohibit the importation of          Clarify obligations concerning 
 particular plants or plant products,     the movement of people.       
 or of particular consignments of        Note the importance of pest    
 plants or plant products;                risk analysis or the technical
(c) Inspect or detain particular          justification for restrictive 
 consignments of plants or plant          measures.                     
 products;                               Broaden and strengthen         
(d) Treat, destroy, or refuse entry to    provisions for emergency      
 particular consignments of plants or     action.                       
 plant products that do not comply with  Add a separate article covering
 the requirements prescribed under        regulated nonquarantine pests.
 subparagraph (a) or (b) of this                                        
 paragraph, or require such                                             
 consignments to be treated or                                          
 destroyed or removed from the country;                                 
(e) List pests the introduction of                                      
 which is prohibited or restricted                                      
 because they are of potential economic                                 
 importance to the country concerned.                                   
2. In order to minimize interference                                    
 with international trade, each                                         
 contracting party undertakes to carry                                  
 out the provisions referred to in                                      
 paragraph 1 of this Article in                                         
 conformity with the following:                                         
(a) Contracting parties shall not,                                      
 under their plant protection                                           
 legislation, take any of the measures                                  
 specified in paragraph 1 of this                                       
 Article unless such measures are made                                  
 necessary by phytosanitary                                             
 considerations.                                                        
(b) If a contracting party prescribes                                   
 any restrictions or requirements                                       
 concerning the importation of plants                                   
 and plant products into its                                            
 territories, it shall publish the                                      
 restrictions or requirements and                                       
 communicate them immediately to FAO,                                   
 any regional plant protection                                          
 organization of which the contracting                                  
 party is a member, and all other                                       
 contracting parties directly concerned.                                
(c) If a contracting party prohibits,                                   
 under the provisions of its plant                                      
 protection legislation, the                                            
 importation of any plants or plant                                     
 products, it shall publish its                                         
 decision with reasons and shall                                        
 immediately inform FAO, any regional                                   
 plant protection organization of which                                 
 the contracting party is a member, and                                 
 all other contracting parties directly                                 
 concerned.                                                             
(d) If a contracting party requires                                     
 consignments of particular plants or                                   
 plant products to be imported only                                     
 through specified points of entry,                                     
 such points shall be so selected as                                    
 not unnecessarily to impede                                            
 international commerce. The                                            
 contracting party shall publish a list                                 
 of such points of entry and                                            
 communicate it to FAO, any regional                                    
 plant protection organization of which                                 
 the contracting party is a member, and                                 
 all other contracting parties directly                                 
 concerned. Such restrictions on points                                 
 of entry shall not be made unless the                                  
 plants or plant products concerned are                                 
 required to be accompanied by                                          
 phytosanitary certificates or to be                                    
 submitted to inspection or treatment.                                  

[[Page 8214]]

                                                                        
(e) Any inspection by the plant                                         
 protection organization of a                                           
 contracting party of consignments of                                   
 plants or plant products offered for                                   
 importation shall take place as                                        
 promptly as possible with due regard                                   
 to the perishability of the plants or                                  
 plant products concerned. If any                                       
 commercial or certified consignment of                                 
 plants or plant products is found not                                  
 to conform to the requirements of the                                  
 plant protection legislation of the                                    
 importing country, the plant                                           
 protection organization of the                                         
 importing country must ensure that the                                 
 plant protection organization of the                                   
 exporting country is properly and                                      
 adequately informed. If the                                            
 consignment is destroyed, in whole or                                  
 in part, an official report shall be                                   
 forwarded immediately to the plant                                     
 protection organization of the                                         
 exporting country.                                                     
(f) Contracting parties shall make                                      
 provisions which, without en dangering                                 
 their own plant production, will keep                                  
 certification requirements to a                                        
 minimum, particularly for plants or                                    
 plant products not intended for                                        
 planting, such as cereals, fruits,                                     
 vegetables, and cut flowers.                                           
(g) Contracting parties may make                                        
 provisions, with adequate safeguards,                                  
 for the importation for purposes of                                    
 scientific research or education, of                                   
 plants and plant products and of                                       
 specimens of plant pests. Adequate                                     
 safeguards likewise need to be taken                                   
 when introducing biological control                                    
 agents and organisms claimed to be                                     
 beneficial.                                                            
3. The measures specified in this                                       
 Article shall not be applied to goods                                  
 in transit throughout the territories                                  
 of contracting parties unless such                                     
 measures are necessary for the                                         
 protection of their own plants.                                        
4. FAO shall disseminate information                                    
 received on importation restrictions,                                  
 requirements, prohibitions, and                                        
 regulations (as specified in paragraph                                 
 2(b), 2(c), and 2(d) of this Article)                                  
 at frequent intervals to all                                           
 contracting parties and regional plant                                 
 protection organizations.                                              
                                                                        
ARTICLE VII--International cooperation                                  
                                                                        
The contracting parties shall cooperate                                 
 with one another to the fullest                                        
 practicable extent in achieving the                                    
 aims of this Convention, in particular                                 
 as follows:                                                            
(a) Each contracting party agrees to     Cooperate in the exchange of   
 cooperate with FAO in the                information for pest risk     
 establishment of a world reporting       analysis.                     
 service on plant pests, making full     Identify contact points for the
 use of the facilities and services of    exchange of information.      
 existing organizations for this                                        
 purpose and, when this is established,                                 
 to furnish FAO periodically, for                                       
 distribution by FAO to the contracting                                 
 parties, with the following                                            
 information:.                                                          
(I) reports on the existence, outbreak,                                 
 and spread of economically important                                   
 pests of plants and plant products                                     
 which may be of immediate or potential                                 
 danger;                                                                
(ii) information on means found to be                                   
 effective in controlling the pests of                                  
 plants and plant products.                                             
(b) Each contracting party shall, as                                    
 far as is practicable, participate in                                  
 any special campaigns for combating                                    
 particular destructive pests that may                                  
 seriously threaten crop production and                                 
 need international action to meet the                                  
 emergencies.                                                           
                                                                        
ARTICLE VIII--Regional plant protection                                 
 organizations                                                          
1. The contracting parties undertake to  Strengthen or weaken the role  
 cooperate with one another in            of regional plant protection  
 establishing regional plant protection   organizations.                
 organizations in appropriate areas.                                    
2. The regional plant protection                                        
 organizations shall function as the                                    
 coordinating bodies in the areas                                       
 covered, shall participate in various                                  
 activities to achieve the objectives                                   
 of this Convention and, where                                          
 appropriate, shall gather and                                          
 disseminate information.                                               
                                                                        
ARTICLE IX--Settlement of disputes.....  Add a new Article describing   
                                          the establishment of standards
                                          and the role of a Commission  
                                          in standard setting.          
                                                                        
1. If there is any dispute regarding     Encourage country consultation 
 the interpretation or application of     as the first level of         
 this Convention, or if a contracting     resolution.                   
 party considers that any action by      Involve the Commission.        
 another contracting party is in                                        
 conflict with the obligations of the                                   
 latter under Articles V and VI of this                                 
 Convention, especially regarding the                                   
 basis of prohibiting or restricting                                    
 the imports of plants or plant                                         
 products coming from its territories,                                  
 the government or governments                                          
 concerned may request the Director-                                    
 General of FAO to appoint a committee                                  
 to consider the question in dispute.                                   

[[Page 8215]]

                                                                        
2. The Director-General of FAO shall                                    
 thereupon, after consultation with the                                 
 governments concerned, appoint a                                       
 committee of experts which shall                                       
 include representatives of those                                       
 governments. This committee shall                                      
 consider the question in dispute,                                      
 taking into account all documents and                                  
 other forms of evidence submitted by                                   
 the governments concerned. This                                        
 committee shall submit a report to the                                 
 Director-General of FAO, who shall                                     
 transmit it to the governments                                         
 concerned and to the governments of                                    
 other contracting parties.                                             
3. The contracting parties agree that                                   
 the recommendations of such a                                          
 committee, while not binding in                                        
 character, will become the basis for                                   
 renewed consideration by the                                           
 governments concerned of the matter                                    
 out of which the disagreement arose.                                   
4. The governments concerned shall                                      
 share equally the expenses of the                                      
 experts.                                                               
                                                                        
ARTICLE X--Substitution of prior         Add an Article describing the  
 agreements.                              role and function of a        
                                          Commission on Phytosanitary   
                                          Measures.                     
                                                                        
This Convention shall terminate and      No changes proposed.           
 replace, between contracting parties,                                  
 the International Convention                                           
 respecting measures to be taken                                        
 against the Phylloxera vastatrix of 3                                  
 November 1881, the additional                                          
 Convention signed at Berne on 15 April                                 
 1889, and the International Convention                                 
 for the Protection of Plants signed at                                 
 Rome on 16 April 1929.                                                 
                                                                        
ARTICLE XI--Territorial application....  Add an Article describing the  
                                          role and function of the IPPC 
                                          Secretariat                   
                                                                        
1. Any state may at the time of          Clarify the role of regional   
 ratification or adherence or at any      economic integration          
 time thereafter communicate to the       organizations.                
 Director-General of FAO a declaration                                  
 that this Convention shall extend to                                   
 all or any of the territories for the                                  
 international relations of which it is                                 
 responsible and this Convention shall                                  
 be applicable to all territories                                       
 specified in the declaration as from                                   
 the thirtieth day after the receipt of                                 
 the declaration by the Director-                                       
 General.                                                               
2. Any state which has communicated to                                  
 the Director-General of FAO a                                          
 declaration in accordance with                                         
 paragraph 1 of this Article may at any                                 
 time communicate a further declaration                                 
 modifying the scope of any former                                      
 declaration or terminating the                                         
 application of the provisions of the                                   
 present Convention in respect of any                                   
 territory. Such modification or                                        
 termination shall take effect as from                                  
 the thirtieth day after the receipt of                                 
 the declaration by the Director-                                       
 General.                                                               
3. The Director-General of FAO shall                                    
 inform all signatory and adhering                                      
 states of any declaration received                                     
 under this Article.                                                    
                                                                        
ARTICLE XII--Ratification and adherence                                 
                                                                        
1. This Convention shall be open for     Clarify the role of regional   
 signature by all states until 1 May      economic integration          
 1952 and shall be ratified at the        organizations.                
 earliest possible date. The                                            
 instruments of ratification shall be                                   
 deposited with the Director-General of                                 
 FAO, who shall give notice of the date                                 
 of deposit to each of the signatory                                    
 states.                                                                
2. As soon as this Convention has come                                  
 into force in accordance with Article                                  
 XIV, it shall be open for adherence by                                 
 non-signatory states. Adherence shall                                  
 be effected by the deposit of an                                       
 instrument of adherence with the                                       
 Director-General of FAO, who shall                                     
 notify all signatory and adhering                                      
 states.                                                                
                                                                        
ARTICLE XIII--Amendment                                                 
                                                                        
1. Any proposal by a contracting party   Add provisions for a           
 for the amendment of this Convention     Commission.                   
 shall be communicated to the Director-                                 
 General of FAO.                                                        
2. Any proposed amendment of this                                       
 Convention received by the Director-                                   
 General of FAO from a contracting                                      
 party shall be presented to a regular                                  
 or special session of the Conference                                   
 of FAO for approval and, if the                                        
 amendment involves important technical                                 
 changes or imposes additional                                          
 obligations on the contracting                                         
 parties, it shall be considered by an                                  
 advisory committee of specialists                                      
 convened by FAO prior to the                                           
 Conference.                                                            
3. Notice of any proposed amendment of                                  
 this Convention shall be transmitted                                   
 to the contracting parties by the                                      
 Director-General of FAO not later than                                 
 the time when the agenda of the                                        
 session of the Conference at which the                                 
 matter is to be considered is                                          
 dispatched.                                                            
4. Any such proposed amendment of this                                  
 Convention shall require the approval                                  
 of the Conference of FAO and shall                                     
 come into force as from the thirtieth                                  
 day after acceptance by two-thirds of                                  
 the contracting parties. Amendments                                    
 involving new obligations for                                          
 contracting parties, however, shall                                    
 come into force in respect of each                                     
 contracting party only on acceptance                                   
 by it and as from the thirtieth day                                    
 after such acceptance.                                                 

[[Page 8216]]

                                                                        
5. The instruments of acceptance of                                     
 amendments involving new obligations                                   
 shall be deposited with the Director-                                  
 General of FAO, who shall inform all                                   
 contracting parties of the receipt of                                  
 acceptance and the entry into force of                                 
 amendments.                                                            
                                                                        
ARTICLE XIV--Entry into force                                           
                                                                        
As soon as this Convention has been      Clarify the role of regional   
 ratified by three signatory states it    economic integration          
 shall come into force between them. It   organizations.                
 shall come into force for each state                                   
 ratifying or adhering thereafter from                                  
 the date of deposit of its instrument                                  
 of ratification or adherence.                                          
                                                                        
ARTICLE XV--Denunciation                                                
                                                                        
1. Any contracting party may at any      Clarify the role of regional   
 time give notice of denunciation of      economic integration          
 this Convention by notification          organizations.                
 addressed to the Director-General of                                   
 FAO. The Director-General shall at                                     
 once inform all signatory and adhering                                 
 States.                                                                
2. Denunciation shall take effect one                                   
 year from the date of receipt of the                                   
 notification by the Director-General                                   
 of FAO.                                                                
                                                                        
ANNEX..................................  Replace with standard for      
                                          certification.                
                                                                        
1. Model Phytosanitary Certificate.....  Continue to maintain annexes,  
                                          replace or supplement with    
                                          standards.                    
2. Model Phytosanitary Certificate for   Amend certifying statements.   
 Re-Export.                                                             
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[FR Doc. 97-4477 Filed 2-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P