[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 [email protected].

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

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(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