[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 175 (Friday, September 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49267-49269]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-23623]


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OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE


North American Free Trade Agreement: Sanitary and Phytosanitary 
Committee

AGENCY: Office of the United States Trade Representative.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with legislation implementing the North American 
Free Trade Agreement, we are informing the public of a meeting to be 
held Tuesday, September 21, 1999 at the U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA) in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this meeting is to solicit 
public comment on proposed agenda items for the next scheduled meeting 
of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) Sanitary and 
Phytosanitary (SPS) Committee, November 2-3, 1999, in Ottawa, Canada. 
It is also to seek public input in identifying any new issues of 
concern that should be considered for the agenda. Representatives from 
each of the SPS Committee's eight Technical Working Groups (TWGs) will 
also be present to apprise the public of each TWG's progress and to 
respond to questions.
    The November meeting will be the Eighth Meeting of the NAFTA SPS 
Committee and will include co-chairs or other representatives from the 
TWGs that report to the Committee. The purpose of the NAFTA SPS 
Committee is to address sanitary and phytosanitary trade issues 
affecting the entry of agricultural products among the three member 
countries.

DATES: The public meeting date will take place Tuesday, September 21, 
1999, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., USDA South Building (at the back of USDA 
cafeteria, 1st floor), 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC. Written comments should be submitted by September 16, 
1999.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Carolyn T. Cohen, Foreign Agricultural 
Service, International Trade Policy, Food Safety and Technical Services 
Division, Room 5545, South Building, 14th Street and Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington DC, 20250, (202) 720-1301; or e-mail 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with Article 722 of NAFTA, the 
NAFTA SPS Committee is responsible for facilitating: (a) the 
enhancement of food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary conditions in 
the terrorizes of the parties; (b) activities of the Parties pursuant 
to Articles 713 and 714 relating respectively to international 
standards and equivalence; (c) technical cooperation; and (d) 
consultation on specific bilateral issues. An SPS issue can be raised 
by any party and is sent to the Committee for consideration. The 
Committee will either consider the matter itself or refer the issue to 
an individual, working group or relevant standard setting organization 
for technical advice.
    Since the entry into force of NAFTA on January 1, 1994, the NAFTA 
SPS Committee has met on seven separate occasions: March 24, 1994, in 
Washington, DC; October 6, 1994, in Washington, DC; September 21, 1995, 
in Mexico City; February 14, 1996, in Mexico City; June 20, 1996, in 
Ottawa; November 18-19, 1997, in Washington, DC; and November 4-5, 
1998, in Mexico City. The Committee meets at least once a year with 
meetings rotating among the three countries. Starting in 1998, the 
dates for meetings of the NAFTA SPS Committee are fixed for the first 
week in November. Each TWG is to send at least one representative to 
the annual Committee meeting to report on its progress and activity. 
The eight TWGs under the NAFTA SPS Committee and their points of 
contacts are as follows:

[[Page 49268]]

1. Animal Health

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. Alfonso Torres, Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS), USDA.
    B. Status: Bilateral working groups exist within the larger TWG. 
The North American Animal Health Committee is a trilateral forum.
    C. Work in Progress: 1. Harmonization of veterinary biologics 
licensing processes and standardization of import policies; and 2. 
Establishing a regional approach on transmissible spongiform 
encephalopathies (TSEs).
    D. Future Work Plan: The North American Animal Health Meeting 
issues: 1. Harmonization of diagnostic services; 2. common approach for 
disease freedom recognition; 3. emergency preparedness; 4. approach to 
evaluate the veterinary services within member countries; 5. North 
American interaction with OIE; and, 6. management of the North American 
FMD vaccine bank.
    E. Meeting Schedule: The North American Animal Health Committee has 
been meeting since 1972. The 29th Annual Tripartite meeting took place 
in Victoria, Canada, on April 20-22, 1999. The next meeting is 
scheduled for April, 10-14, 2000 in Oaxaca, Mexico.

2. Plant Health, Seeds & Fertilizers

    A. Point of Contact: Mr. Ronald Campbell, Phytosanitary Issues 
Management, APHIS/USDA.
    B. Status: Annual bilateral plant protection meetings are held in 
addition to the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) 
which is trilateral.
    C. Work in Progress: 1. Harmonization of Japanese beetle 
regulations; 2. Developing harmonized approach to Asian & European 
Gypsy Moth; 3. Equivalency of Greenhouse certification; 4. Recognition 
of accredited laboratories for seed certification; and, 5. Panels on 
Accreditation, Biological Control, Biotechnology, Citrus, Forestry, 
Fruit Flies, Grapevines, Grains, Fruit Trees, Pest Risk Analysis, 
Potatoes, and Standards, to discuss issues of mutual concern in each 
area.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Recognition of private laboratories; and 2. 
NAPPO's priorities for international standards: Regulated non-
quarantine pests, Pest Risk Assessments for Quarantine pests, 
Phytosanitary certificates, Regulated pest lists, Notifications of 
interceptions and non-compliance, and Wood Dunnage.
    E. Meeting Schedule: The 23rd Annual NAPPO meeting will be in 
Cancun, Mexico, from October 18-22, 1999. There are 3 NAPPO Working 
Group meetings and 3 NAPPO Executive Committee Meetings per year. Each 
panel meets at least once during the year.

3. Fish & Fishery Product Inspection

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. Philip Spiller, Office of Seafood, Food 
and Drug Administration (FDA).
    B. Status: This TWG is trilateral and last met March 4-5, 1998 in 
San Antonio, Texas.
    C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Development of US-Canada Mutual 
Recognition Agreement on seafood inspection; 2. Exchange of letters 
between US and Canada regarding seafood HACCP and inspection; 3. 
Negotiation of US-Canada equivalence agreement regarding molluscan 
shellfish inspection programs; 4. Development of criteria for seafood 
equivalence determination as part of the process for reaching an 
agreement; and, 5. Approaches for training and accreditation in HACCP/
QMP audit and verification.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Continuation of MRA/Equivalence 
discussions; 2. Development of a joint protocol on how to conduct 
audits of inspection systems; 3. Continuation of the work of the SWG on 
Essential Quality and Composition; and 4. Establishment of ``North 
American Centers of Expertise'' that would see Canada, Mexico and the 
United States potentially combine their efforts on various studies and 
research development initiatives.
    E. Meeting Schedule: The TWG meets annually with the next meeting 
scheduled for October 1999 in Halifax, Canada.

4. Meat, Poultry & Egg Inspection

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. John C. Prucha, Food Safety Inspection 
Service, USDA.
    B. Status: This TWG is trilateral and has met eight times over the 
last four years.
    C. Work in Progress: 1. Achieving and maintaining equivalency; 2. 
Exchange of information on proposed changes; 3. Exchange of information 
on foreign system and establishment reviews; 4. Finalizing USDA's 
position recognizing Mexico's poultry system as equivalent; and 5. 
Exchange of information on import reinspection procedures, including 
import inspection standards and inspection procedure for residues of 
chemical contaminants.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Harmonization of inspection procedures; 2. 
Examination of health certificates; 3. Technical Subgroup addressing 
technical inspection matters; activity report presented at each 
meeting; and, 4. Coordination of planning & implementation of changes.
    E. Meeting Schedule: This TWG meets approximately twice a year, 
depending on the availability of its members. It plans to meet again in 
the fall or winter 1999/2000.

5. Dairy, Fruits, Vegetables and Processed Foods

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. Terry Troxell, Office of Plant & Dairy 
Foods & Beverages, FDA.
    B. Status: This TWG is bilateral (US-Canada), as representatives 
have not yet been identified by Mexico.
    C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Discussion of equivalence of US-
Canada Grade A dairy inspection systems; and 2. Harmonization of US-
Canada potato grade system.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Continuation of Equivalence Discussions, 
and 2. Full integration of Mexico into the TWG.
    E. Meeting Schedule: The first and only meeting of the TWG was in 
November 1997. A specific date has not been set for a future meeting.

6. Veterinary Drugs & Feed

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. Robert Livingstone, Center for Veterinary 
Medicine, FDA.
    B. Status: This TWG is bilateral (US-Canada), as a representatives 
has not been identified by Mexico. This TWG last met in 1995.
    C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Methods harmonization; 2. 
Discussions of equivalence of registration systems; and, 3. 
Coordination with corresponding Codex activities.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Equivalence of analytical methods for drug 
residues; and 2. Integration of Mexico into the TWG.
    E. Meeting Schedule: None scheduled at this time.

7. Food Additives and Contaminants

    A. Point of Contact: Dr. Alan Rulis, Office of Pre-Market Approval, 
FDA.
    B. Status: This TWG is trilateral.
    C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Harmonization of US-Canada food 
additive regulations; and, 2. Discussion of issues and positions for 
the Codex Committee on Food Additives & Contaminants (CCFAC).
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Development of joint positions for the 
CCFAC; and, 2. Further exploration of potential for joint reviews of 
food additives petitions.
    E. Meeting Schedule: This TWG last met January 19-20, 1998 in 
Mexico City. The next session for this TWG has not been scheduled.

[[Page 49269]]

8. Pesticides

    A. Point of Contact: Ms. Marcia Mulkey, Office of Pesticide 
Programs, Environmental Protection Agency.
    B. Status: This TWG is trilateral, consisting of an Executive 
Board, a Secretariat, Technical Subcommittee and Project Teams. This 
TWG last met May 24-26, 1999 in San Antonio, Texas.
    C. Issues Addressed to Date: 1. Completed four US/Canada joint 
reviews (three reduced risk pesticides and one pheromone); 2. Focused 
cooperative work to reevaluate and reregister older chemical pesticides 
on organophosphates, carbamates, and B2 carcinogens and agreed to share 
information on the associated tolerance reassessment process to 
minimize trade problems; 3. Developed clear categories to trade 
irritants and a procedure and priority scheme for their resolution; 4. 
Harmonized 17 environmental fate and toxicology protocols; 5. Completed 
a prototype ecoregion map that will lead to reduced data development 
costs for terrestrial field studies; 6. Coordinated development of 
field residue data among NAFTA countries to support registration of 
pesticides for minor crops; and 7. Developed stakeholder projects to 
promote Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for canola and 
cranberries.
    D. Future Work Plan: 1. Develop and implement strategic plan for 
communicating areas of pesticide regulatory harmonization; 2. Work with 
the Departments of Agriculture, growers, and industry to identify and 
prioritize registration needs in NAFTA countries to facilitate equal 
access to pesticides and avoid potential agricultural impediments to 
trade; 3. Investigate the impact of EPA's emergency use exemption 
program on Mexican/Canadian growers; 4. Complete the first trinational 
review of a pesticide (zoxamide) for use on grapes and potatoes; 5. 
Work cooperatively to reevaluate and reregister older chemical 
pesticides; 6. Work toward a harmonized approach to pesticide 
certification and training; 7. Share information and explore how NAFTA 
countries might work together on the evaluation and regulation of 
persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic substances and endocrine 
disrupting chemicals; and, 8. Increase interaction between the TWG on 
Pesticides and the US-Mexico Pesticide Information Exchange Program.
    E. Meeting Schedule: The full TWG, which includes stakeholder 
participation, meets annually. The Executive Board meets formally two 
times per year. The TWG Executive Board will meet in January 2000 in 
Mexico City. The full TWG will have its annual meeting in June 2000 in 
Ottowa.

Public Meeting

    The public meeting date will take place Tuesday, September 21, 
1999, 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m., USDA South Building (at the back of USDA 
cafeteria, 1st floor), 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW, 
Washington, DC.

Written Comments

    Those persons wishing to submit written comments should provide 
five (5) typed copies to John Payne, Director for SPS Affairs, Office 
of the United States Trade Representative, 600 17th St., NW, Room 421; 
Washington, DC 20508. If the submission contains business confidential 
information, five copies of a confidential version must also be 
submitted. A justification as to why the information contained in the 
submission should be treated confidentially must be included in the 
submission. In addition, any submissions containing business 
confidential information must be clearly marked ``Confidential'' at the 
top and bottom of the cover page (or letter) and of each succeeding 
page of the submission. The version that does not contain confidential 
information should also be clearly marked, at the top and bottom of 
each page, ``public version'' or ``non-confidential.''
    Written comments submitted in connection with this request, except 
for information granted ``business confidential'' status pursuant to 15 
CFR 2003.6, will be available for public inspection in the USTR Reading 
Room, Room 101, Office of the United States Trade Representative, 600 
17th Street, NW, Washington, DC. An appointment to review the file may 
be made by calling Brenda Webb (202) 395-6186. The Reading Room is open 
to the public from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon, and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., 
Monday through Friday.
Frederick L. Montgomery,
Chairman, Trade Policy Staff Committee.
[FR Doc. 99-23623 Filed 9-9-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3190-01-M