[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 27, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58038-58043]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-24841]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 00-061-1]


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 results of the 
Uruguay Round of negotiations under the General Agreement 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 your comment and three copies to: Docket No. 00-
061-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Suite 3C03, 
4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238.
Please state that your comment refers to Docket No. 00-061-1.
    You may read any comments that we receive on this docket in our 
reading room. The reading room is located in room 1141 of the USDA 
South Building, 14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, 
DC. Normal reading room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, except holidays. To be sure someone is there to help you, 
please call (202) 690-2817 before coming.
    APHIS documents published in the Federal Register, and related 
information, including the names of organizations and individuals who 
have commented on APHIS dockets, are available on the Internet at 
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. John Greifer, Director, Trade 
Support Team, International Services, APHIS, room 1132, South Building, 
14th Street and Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250 (202) 
720-7677.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established as the common 
international institutional framework for governing trade relations 
among its members in matters related to the Uruguay Round Agreements. 
The WTO is the successor organization to the General Agreement on 
Tariffs and Trade. U.S. membership in the WTO was approved by Congress 
when it enacted the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (Pub. L. 103-465), 
which was signed into law by the President on December 8, 1994. The WTO 
Agreements, which established the WTO, entered into force with respect 
to the United States on January 1, 1995. The Uruguay Round Agreements 
Act amended title IV of the Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 U.S.C. 
2531 et seq.). Section 491 of the Trade Agreement Act of 1979, as 
amended (19 U.S.C. 2578), requires the President to designate an agency 
to be responsible for informing the public of the sanitary and 
phytosanitary (SPS) standard-setting activities of each international 
standard-setting organization. The designated agency must inform the 
public by publishing an annual notice in the Federal Register that 
provides the following information: (1) The SPS standards under 
consideration or planned for consideration by the international 
standard-setting organization; and (2) for each SPS standard specified, 
a description of the consideration or planned consideration of that 
standard, a statement of whether the United States is participating or 
plans to participate in the consideration of that standard, the agenda 
for U.S. participation, if any, and the agency responsible for 
representing the United States with respect to that standard.
    ``International standard'' is defined in 19 U.S.C. 2578b as any 
standard, guideline, or recommendation: (1) Adopted by the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (Codex) regarding food safety; (2) developed 
under the auspices of the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) 
regarding animal health and zoonoses; (3) developed under the auspices 
of the Secretariat of the International Plant Protection Convention 
(IPPC) in cooperation with the North American Plant Protection 
Organization (NAPPO) 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 (NAFTA) or 
the member countries of the WTO.
    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 SPS standard-setting 
activities of Codex, OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO. This responsibility was 
delegated to the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA'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. 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.
    APHIS is responsible for publishing notice of OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO 
activities related to international standards and representing the 
United States with respect to these standards.
    Following are descriptions of the OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO 
organizations and the standard-setting agenda for each of these 
institutions. Our intent is to describe the agenda that each of these 
organizations will address at their annual general sessions, including 
standards that may be presented for adoption or consideration, as well 
as other initiatives that may be underway at the OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO.

OIE Standard-Setting Activities

    The OIE was established in Paris, France, in 1924 with the signing 
of an

[[Page 58039]]

international agreement by 28 countries. It is currently composed of 
155 member nations, each of which is represented by a delegate who, in 
most cases, is the chief veterinary officer of that country. The WTO 
has recognized the OIE as the international forum for setting animal 
health standards, reporting global animal situations and disease 
status, and presenting guidelines and recommendations on sanitary 
measures relating to animal health.
    The OIE facilitates intergovernmental cooperation to prevent the 
spread of contagious diseases in animals through the sharing of 
scientific research among its members. The major functions of the OIE 
are to collect and disseminate information about distribution and 
control of animal diseases and to ensure that scientifically justified 
standards govern international trade in animals and animal products. 
The OIE aims to achieve this through the development and revision of 
international standards for diagnostic tests, vaccines, and the safe 
international trade of animals and animal products.
    The OIE provides annual reports on the global distribution of 
animal diseases, recognizes disease-free status of member countries, 
categorizes animal diseases with respect to their international 
significance, publishes bulletins on global disease status and timely 
reviews of pertinent animal health issues, and provides animal disease 
control guidelines to member countries.
    Positions, policies, and standards established by the OIE can be 
adopted by consensus or by vote of the delegates upon recommendations 
from various commissions and working groups within the OIE. These 
various commissions and working groups undertake the initial analysis 
and preparation of draft standards. Drafts are then circulated to 
member countries for consultation (review and comment). Draft standards 
are revised accordingly and then presented to the OIE General Session, 
which meets annually every May, for review and adoption. Adoption, as a 
general rule, is based on consensus of the OIE membership.
    The next OIE General Session is scheduled for Paris, France, May 
27-June 1, 2001. The Deputy Administrator for APHIS' Veterinary 
Services is the U.S. delegate to the OIE. The Deputy Administrator 
intends to participate in the proceedings and will discuss or comment 
on APHIS's position on any standard up for adoption in the event that 
there is no consensus on whether to adopt that standard. The agenda for 
the General Session is expected to include the following items:

Code Chapters up for Adoption or Consideration

    Revisions to the following chapters of the OIE Animal Health Code 
are expected to be presented for adoption at the next General Session.
     Scrapie: Revisions to the OIE Code, chapter 3.3.8.
     Classical swine fever: An ad hoc group will examine 
possible revisions to the OIE Code, chapter 2.1.13.
     Newcastle disease: An ad hoc group will be formed to 
examine possible revisions to the OIE Code, chapter 2.1.15.
     Diseases of bees: Revisions to the OIE Code, chapter 
3.8.1-3.8.5.
     Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE): Continued 
revisions to OIE Code, chapter 3.2.13.
     Bluetongue: Revisions to the OIE Code, chapter 2.1.9.
     Paratuberculosis: The OIE Code, chapter 3.1.6, will be 
further updated and reviewed.
These chapters are being drafted by working groups that are composed of 
technical experts nominated by the OIE Code Commission by virtue of 
their subject-area expertise. During the initial drafting phase, 
countries and, by extension, the public, do not have the opportunity to 
review and comment on the standards being developed. Countries have the 
opportunity to comment on standards when the OIE makes draft chapters 
available for country consultation, probably sometime in October or 
November 2000. After the country consultation phase, countries' 
comments are considered by the working groups and the Code Commission. 
If a country has concerns with a particular draft standard, the 
Commission may revise that standard accordingly and present the 
revision for adoption at the General Session in May. In the event that 
a country's concerns regarding a draft standard are not taken into 
account, that country may refuse to support the standard when it comes 
up for adoption at the General Session. However, each member country is 
obligated to make science-based decisions when considering standards up 
for adoption at the General Session.
    The above draft standards will not be made available to the United 
States for country consultation until October or November, 2000. The 
U.S. positions on those standards will not be adopted until after the 
draft standards are made available to us. Additional information can be 
obtained at that time by contacting Dr. Michael David, VS, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-3577; or e-
mail: [email protected].

Current Work Program

    If the Code Commission determines that a new standard or a revision 
of an existing standard is required, the Commission forms a working 
group of persons with expertise in the area of the standard being 
considered. It is the working group's responsibility to draft or revise 
the standards and report their progress to the General Session. At 
present, there is one group working on each of the standards mentioned 
above.
    Two other ongoing working groups within the OIE, Wildlife Diseases 
and Informatics and Epidemiology, are charged with providing other 
working groups and commissions with technical information and advice 
related to wildlife and livestock diseases, including disease 
surveillance and risk analysis.
    An ongoing ad-hoc group on anti-microbial resistence is charged 
with looking at issues such as the prudent use of antibiotics in 
livestock production, monitoring the quantities of antibiotics used in 
veterinary medicine, and the standardization of laboratory procedures 
and the harmonization of national systems for the surveillance of 
microbial resistance in animals and in foods of animal origin. The 
group is developing consensus documents on these issues that will be 
distributed to all member countries for consideration.
    For current information on any of these working groups, (including 
meeting times and agendas) contact Dr. Michael David at the address 
listed above under the heading ``Code Chapters up for Adoption or 
Consideration.''

Other OIE Topics

    Two other major topics will be addressed at the May 2001 General 
Session. However, additional standards for these topics are not 
expected to be developed and presented for adoption at the General 
Session:
     The importance of animal diseases in public health, animal 
health, and trade.
     The role of communication management in supporting 
veterinary services.
    The information in this notice includes all the information 
currently available to us on OIE standards currently under development 
or consideration. Information on OIE standards is available on the OIE 
web page at http://www.oie.int. Further, a formal agenda for the next 
General Session will be available to member countries in January or 
February of 2001, and copies will be available to the public once the 
agenda is published. For

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current information on meeting times, working groups, and/or meeting 
agendas, or for information on official U.S. participation in OIE 
activities, including U.S. positions on standards being considered, 
contact Dr. Michael David at the address listed above under the heading 
``Code Chapters up for Adoption or Consideration.''

IPPC Standard-Setting Activities

    The IPPC is a multilateral convention adopted in 1952 for the 
purpose of securing common and effective action to prevent the spread 
and introduction of pests of plants and plant products and to promote 
appropriate measures for their control. Under the IPPC, the 
understanding of plant protection has been, and continues to be, broad, 
encompassing the protection of both cultivated and noncultivated plants 
from direct or indirect injury by plant pests. Activities addressed by 
the IPPC include the development and establishment of international 
plant health standards, the harmonization of phytosanitary activities 
through emerging standards, the facilitation of the exchange of 
official and scientific information among countries, and the furnishing 
of technical assistance to developing countries that are signatories to 
the IPPC.
    The IPPC is placed under the authority of the FAO, and the members 
of the Secretariat of the IPPC are appointed by the FAO. The IPPC is 
implemented by national plant protection organizations in cooperation 
with regional plant protection organizations, the Interim Commission on 
Phytosanitary Measures (ICPM), and the Secretariat of the IPPC. The 
United States plays a major role in all standard-setting activities 
under the IPPC and has representation on FAO's highest governing body, 
the FAO Conference.
    The United States became a contracting party to the IPPC in 1972 
and has been actively involved in furthering the work of the IPPC ever 
since. The IPPC was amended in 1979, and the amended version entered 
into force in 1991 after two-thirds of the contracting countries 
accepted the amendment. More recently, in 1997, contracting parties 
completed negotiations on further amendments that were approved by the 
FAO Conference and submitted to the parties for acceptance. This 1997 
amendment updated phytosanitary concepts and formalized the standard-
setting structure within the IPPC. The 1997 amended version of the IPPC 
will enter into force once two-thirds of the current contracting 
parties notify the Director General of FAO of their acceptance of the 
amendment.
    The IPPC has been, and continues to be, administered at the 
national level by plant quarantine officials whose primary objective is 
to safeguard plant resources from injurious pests. In the United 
States, the national plant protection organization is APHIS' Plant 
Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) unit. The steps for developing a 
standard under the revised IPPC are described below.
Step 1
    Proposals for a new international standard for phytosanitary 
measures (ISPM) or for the review or revision of an existing ISPM are 
submitted to the Secretariat in the form of a discussion paper 
accompanied by a topic or draft standard. Drafts can be submitted by 
individual countries, but are more commonly submitted by regional plant 
protection organizations (RPPO's). Alternately, the Secretariat can 
propose a new standard or amendments to existing standards.
Step 2
    A summary of proposals is submitted by the Secretariat to the ICPM. 
The ICPM identifies the topics and priorities for standard setting from 
among the proposals submitted to the Secretariat and others that may be 
raised by the ICPM.
Step 3
    Specifications for the standards identified as priorities by the 
ICPM are drafted by the Secretariat. The draft specifications are 
submitted to the Standards Committee for approval/amendment and are 
subsequently made available to members and RPPO's for comment (60 
days). Comment is by written submission to the Secretariat. Taking into 
account the comments, the Standards Committee finalizes the 
specifications.
Step 4
    The standard is drafted or revised by a working group designated by 
the Standards Committee and in accordance with the specifications. The 
resulting draft standard is submitted to the Standards Committee for 
review.
Step 5
    Draft standards approved by the Standards Committee are distributed 
to members by the Secretariat and RPPO's for consultation (120 days). 
Comment is by written submission to the Secretariat. Where appropriate, 
the Standards Committee may establish open-ended discussion groups as 
fora for further comment. The Secretariat summarizes the comments and 
submits them to the Standards Committee.
Step 6
    Taking into account the comments, the Secretariat, in cooperation 
with the Standards Committee, revises the draft standard. The Standards 
Committee submits the final version to the ICPM for adoption.
Step 7
    The ISPM is established through formal adoption by the ICPM 
according to Rule X of the Rules of Procedure of the ICPM.
Step 8
    The ISPM is reviewed by the specified date or such other date as 
may be agreed upon by the ICPM.
    Each member country is represented on ICPM by a single delegate. 
Although experts and advisers may accompany the delegate to meetings of 
the ICPM, only the delegate or an authorized alternate may represent 
the United States in considering a standard up for approval. Parties 
involved in a vote by the ICPM are to make every effort to reach 
agreement on all matters by consensus. Only after all efforts to reach 
a consensus have been exhausted may a decision on a standard be passed 
by a vote of two-thirds of delegates present and voting.
    Technical experts from the United States have participated directly 
in working groups and indirectly as reviewers of all 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. This notice describes each of the IPPC standards currently under 
consideration or up for adoption. Access to the full text of each 
standard will be available electronically on the APHIS Internet web 
page at http://aphis.usda.gov/ppq/standards. Interested individuals may 
review and provide comments on the standards found on this web page.
    The next ICPM meeting is scheduled for April 2-6, 2001. The Deputy 
Administrator for APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine is the U.S. 
delegate to the ICPM. The Deputy Administrator intends to participate 
in the proceedings and will discuss or comment on APHIS's position on 
any standard up for adoption in the event that there is no consensus on 
whether to adopt that standard. The provisional agenda for the meeting 
is as follows:

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Provisional Agenda for the Third Interim Commission on 
Phytosanitary Measures

1. Opening of the session
2. Report by the chairperson
3. Adoption of the agenda
4. Standard setting priorities
5. Adoption of international standards \1\
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    \1\ Standards that may be up for adoption at the April 2001 
general session are listed below under the heading ``Interim 
Standards Committee''.
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6. Items arising from the second meeting of the ICPM
    6.1 Formation of a standards committee
    6.2 Dispute settlement procedures
    6.3 Information exchange
    6.4 Genetically modified organisms (GMO's), biosafety and invasive 
species
    6.5 Official control
7. Report from the technical consultation among RPPO's
    7.1 Recognition of RPPO's
8. Work program for harmonization
    8.1 Standard setting
    8.2 Information exchange
    8.3 Technical assistance
9. Strategic planning
10. Status of the IPPC
    10.1 Acceptance of the new revised text
    10.2 Interim standards
11. Other business
    11.1 Reporting of noncompliance with phytosanitary measures
12. Date and venue of the next meeting
13. Election of the bureau
14. Adoption of the report
The agenda is also expected to include reports from various working 
groups, as described below.
    Working Group on Notification and Noncompliance: Under the 
Convention, members have an obligation to notify incidents involving 
noncompliance of imported shipments (e.g., certification deficiencies 
or pest interceptions) to the member concerned. This working group, 
which met in December 1999, drafted a standard for such notifications 
among members.
    Working Group on Pest Listing: The IPPC requires contracting 
parties to establish and update lists of regulated pests for 
phytosanitary certification purposes. Guidelines were developed for 
meeting these obligations at a working group meeting, by describing 
lists of regulated pests, their purpose, and their relationship to 
phytosanitary procedures. APHIS participated in the working group 
meeting, which met in January 2000.
    Working Group on Strategic Planning and Technical Assistance: This 
working group, which met in early March 2000, began the process of 
drafting a strategic plan for review and comment by ICPM members. The 
working group's goal is to develop a strategic plan that will help 
clarify the ICPM's basic functions and ensure that the annual work 
program, Secretariat's activities, and financial investments are 
focused on achieving the IPPC's most important objectives. The working 
group is also charged with addressing the ICPM's role in technical 
assistance. This working group will meet again in October 2000 to 
finalize the strategic plan.
    Working Group on Official Control: The purpose of this working 
group, which met in March 2000, was to arrive at a more exact 
definition of what constitutes ``officially controlled'' in the IPPC's 
definition of ``quarantine pest.'' Ambiguities in the current 
definition allow countries to impose phytosanitary measures on pests 
that may already exist within their territory, but are not under 
internal regulatory controls. This has raised concerns about the use of 
unjustified or discriminatory treatments or requirements on imports. 
The working group developed a clarified definition and set of 
guidelines to ensure a harmonized understanding and application of the 
concept of ``official control.''
    Working Group on Standards Committee: This working group, which met 
the week of April 10, 2000, will develop recommendations on the future 
structure and composition for the Standards Committee. The Standards 
Committee is called the Interim Standards Committee until some basic 
structural changes are adopted by the ICPM. The working group 
considered a structure that is limited in size to ensure high 
productivity, emphasizes scientific expertise on the Committee rather 
than geographical representation, and allows for adequate participation 
of experts from developing countries.
    Working Group on Dispute Settlement: This working group met the 
week of May 9, 2000, to finalize rules and procedures for utilizing 
dispute settlement described in the IPPC. These procedures, contained 
in Article XIII of the Convention, are not legally binding. However, 
members agree that such provisions, if available, may help reduce or 
avoid formal, legalistic, and costly disputes in the WTO.
    Interim Standards Committee: The Interim Standards Committee, which 
met the week of May 15, 2000, to review and redraft, as appropriate, 
draft standards that will be considered for adoption in 2001. This 
Committee will meet again in November 2000 to possibly finalize these 
draft standards for submission to and adoption by the ICPM in April 
2001. Among the drafts to be reviewed are standards on ``Guidelines for 
Notification of Interceptions and Noncompliance,'' ``Guidelines for the 
Preparation of Regulated Pest Lists,'' ``Guidelines on Official 
Control,'' ``Revised Pest Risk Analysis Standard,'' and ``Guidelines 
for the Preparation of Phytosanitary Certificates.'' The committee will 
also review revisions to the ``Glossary of Phytosanitary Terms.''
    Working Group on Wood Packing Material: Consensus was reached at 
the ICPM meeting in October 1999 on prioritizing the development of a 
standard on wood packing material. This issue was considered of high 
importance to all members that have experienced a growing increase in 
pest interceptions associated with wood packing materials. The working 
group, which met the week of June 6, 2000, drafted a global standard 
based on the existing regional standard developed by NAPPO.
    Working Group on GMOs and Invasive Species: This working group met 
the week of June 13, 2000, to identify the phytosanitary aspects of 
GMO's and to consider the necessity of developing international 
phytosanitary standards in this area. The working group was charged 
with: Developing a statement on the role of the IPPC in assessing the 
plant pest risk of GMO's and the relationship between invasive species 
and plant quarantine pests (pests of primary concern under the IPPC); 
identifying the roles and responsibilities of other relevant bodies and 
any potential overlaps with the role of the IPPC; considering the 
necessity of developing international standards under the IPPC; 
identifying the need for capacity building in developing countries to 
fulfill their identified role under the IPPC; and developing a draft 
communication strategy to promote and clarify the role of the IPPC in 
this area. These points were all addressed at the meeting.
    Working Group on Regulated Nonquarantine Pests: The new revised 
Convention broadened the scope of regulated pests to include regulated 
nonquarantine pests that are associated with propagative materials. 
These pests are regulated due to their economic impact. The working 
group, which met the week of July 3, 2000, considered the development 
of a standard to guide the application of phytosanitary measures for 
this new category of pests.
    Working Group on Systems Approaches for Pest Management: Given the 
eventual loss of methyl bromide as a quarantine tool, many countries 
are relying increasingly on new approaches for reducing pest risks

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and meeting foreign import requirements. Systems approaches have 
emerged as an increasingly popular way to certify commodities for 
export. A working group, which met the week of July 24, 2000, 
considered the development of a standard to harmonize the approach used 
by countries in establishing systems approaches for export purposes.
    Working Group on Pest Reporting: Under the IPPC, members have an 
obligation to report pest outbreaks or incidents that may be of 
potential danger to other members. This working group, which met the 
week of September 12, 2000, is expected to develop a standard format 
for such reporting between members.

Status of Newly Revised Text of IPPC

    The newly revised Convention (amended in 1997) will come into force 
once two-thirds of the contracting parties deposit their formal letters 
of acceptance with the Director General of FAO. With regard to U.S. 
action on this matter, on March 23, 2000, the President formally 
transmitted the Revised Text of the Convention to the Senate 
recommending review and consent of this amended Convention. Formal U.S. 
acceptance of the revised Convention (i.e., official U.S. letter of 
acceptance deposited with FAO) will occur once the Senate completes its 
review and consent procedure.

IPPC Standards Up for Adoption in 2001

    It is anticipated that five Standards will be considered by the 
ICPM for adoption at its April 2001 meeting. The United States, 
represented by APHIS, will participate in the consideration of these 
standards. They include:
    1. Revised Pest Risk Analysis Standard: This standard, adopted in 
1995, provides guidelines for conducting pest risk analyses (PRA) for 
quarantine pests. The newly revised Convention clarifies a number of 
terms and concepts related to PRA. Consequently, the existing PRA 
standard was updated to reflect these changes.
    2. Guidelines for the Preparation of Phytosanitary Certificates: 
This standard will guide members in the preparation of phytosanitary 
certificates. These certificates, based on a standardized format, 
accompany plant commodities and attest that a given shipment has been 
inspected and is found to be free of quarantine pests and in compliance 
with the importing member's phytosanitary requirements.
    3. Guidelines for the Preparation of Pest Lists: Under the IPPC, 
members are required to establish and keep up-to-date lists of 
regulated pests within their territory. The purpose is to keep other 
members informed of which pests are subject to phytosanitary 
requirements, thereby facilitating the phytosanitary certification of 
exports. This standard will guide members in the development and use of 
pest lists.
    4. Guidelines for Defining ``Official Control'': Under the IPPC, 
the definition of a quarantine pest is a ``pest of potential economic 
importance to the area endangered thereby and not yet present there, or 
present but not widely distributed and being officially controlled.'' 
The term ``officially controlled'' has been part of the IPPC definition 
of ``quarantine pest'' for many years, but never defined. As a result, 
members have had different interpretations for the term, especially as 
it relates to pests occurring within their territory. Ambiguities in 
the meaning of ``official control'' have allowed countries to impose 
phytosanitary measures on pests that may already exist within their 
territory and are not under internal regulatory controls. This has 
raised concerns of unjustified and/or discriminatory treatments or 
requirements imposed on imports. This standard will provide guidelines 
to ensure a harmonized understanding and application of the concept of 
``official control.''
    5. Guidelines for Reporting Interception and Noncompliance: Under 
the Convention, members are obligated to notify exporting members of 
incidents of noncompliance of imported shipments (e.g., phytosanitary 
certification deficiencies, pest interceptions) associated with their 
export shipments. These guidelines will clarify the procedures by which 
members inform each other of pest interceptions, certification issues, 
or other irregularities related to imported commodities or shipments.
    At this time, it appears likely that only the above standards will 
be presented for adoption at the next ICPM meeting in April 2001. The 
United States intends to support adoption of the draft standards at the 
ICPM meeting.
    APHIS posts draft standards on its web page (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/standards) as they become available to us. The 
web page also provides information on when comments on standards are 
due. Additional information on IPPC standards is available on the FAO 
web page at http://www.ippc.int. For information on official U.S. 
participation in IPPC activities, including U.S. positions on standards 
being considered, contact Narcy Klag, Coordinator for International 
Phytosanitary Standards, PPQ, APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 140, 
Riverdale, MD 20737; e-mail: [email protected].

NAPPO Standard-Setting Activities

    NAPPO, a regional plant protection organization created in 1976 
under the IPPC, coordinates the efforts among Canada, the United 
States, and Mexico to protect their plant resources from the entry, 
establishment, and spread of harmful plant pests, while facilitating 
intra-and inter-regional trade.
    NAPPO conducts its business through panels and annual meetings held 
among the three member countries. The NAPPO Executive Committee charges 
individual panels with the responsibility for drawing up proposals for 
NAPPO positions, policies, and standards. These panels are made up of 
representatives from each member country who have scientific expertise 
related to the policy or standard being considered.
    Proposals drawn up by the individual panels are circulated for 
review to government and industry officials in Canada, Mexico, and the 
United States, who may suggest revisions. In the United States, draft 
standards are circulated to industry, States, and various government 
agencies for consideration and comment. The draft standards are posted 
on the Internet at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/standards. Interested 
persons may submit comments via this web page. Once revisions are made, 
the proposal is sent to the NAPPO working group and the NAPPO standards 
panel for technical reviews and then to the Executive Committee for 
final approval, which is granted by consensus.
    The annual NAPPO meeting is scheduled for October 17-18, 2000, in 
San Diego, CA. The Executive Committee meeting will take place on 
October 15, and a special session will be held on October 16, where 
industry groups can bring issues to the attention of the Executive 
Committee. The Deputy Administrator for APHIS' Plant Protection and 
Quarantine is the U.S. member of the Executive Committee. The Deputy 
Administrator intends to participate in the proceedings and will 
discuss or comment on APHIS's position on any standard up for adoption 
in the event that there is no consensus on whether to adopt that 
standard. The agenda for the meeting will include the following items 
related to standard setting:

[[Page 58043]]

Standards up for Adoption or Consideration:

     Guidelines for Preclearance Programs: This standard 
revises the current standard to include, among other things, procedures 
for phasing out preclearance programs. The United States intends to 
support adoption of the draft standard at the NAPPO meeting in October.

Updates on NAPPO Panel Activities

    Working panels will report their progress to the Executive 
Committee. Information on panel assignments, updates on activities, and 
updates on meeting times and locations can be obtained from the NAPPO 
home page at http://www.nappo.org or by contacting Narcy Klag, 
Coordinator for International Phytosanitary Standards, PPQ, APHIS, 
USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737; e-mail: 
[email protected].
    The following is a summary of current panel charges as they relate 
to the ongoing development of standards:

Accreditation Panel (Laboratory Accreditation)

     Develop a form for commodity-specific panels to use to 
develop an inventory of laboratory tests, analyses, and identification 
done in support of plant health regulatory activities.

Accreditation Panel (Inspector Accreditation)

     Work towards implementing the conditions of this standard 
by April 1, 2001. Written progress report to be given to the Executive 
Committee at its meeting on October 15, 2000.

Biological Control Panel

     Finalize the standard, ``Guidelines for Petition for 
Import and Release of Nonnative Entomophagous Agents for the Biological 
Control of Pests.'' This has gone through the country consultation 
phase, and comments are now being reviewed and incorporated where 
appropriate. A procedure to conduct post-release monitoring for 
biological control agents is also being developed.

Biotechnology Panel

     Develop a NAPPO standard for the review of products of 
biotechnology that focuses on the assessment of the potential to 
present a plant pest risk.

Citrus Panel

     Continue development of a NAPPO citrus standard.

Forestry Panel

     Track the implementation of the standard on wood packing 
material within the three countries so that implementation takes places 
at or near the same time.

Fruit Fly Panel

     Complete the standard on ``Verification and Maintenance of 
Fruit Fly-Free Areas.''

Fruit Tree Panel

     Develop standardized diagnostic tests to be used when 
certifying fruit tree nursery stock.

Grain Panel

     Develop standardized diagnostic tests to be used when 
certifying grain shipments.

Grapevine Panel

     Develop standardized diagnostic tests to be used when 
certifying grapevine shipments.

Pest Risk Analysis Panel

     Act as focal point to advise on the revisions to the 
international standard for PRA. Collaborate with the Potato Panel in 
the development of a PRA to support implementation of the NAPPO 
standard, ``Requirements for the Importation of Potatoes into a NAPPO 
Member Country.''

Seeds Panel

     Prepare a proposal to the IPPC to endorse the seed testing 
methods of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA).

Standards Panel

     Provide updates on standards in the NAPPO newsletter.
     Review standards presented to the Executive Committee 
prior to country consultation.
     Incorporate comments received from country consultation if 
appropriate.
     Coordinate responses to the North American members on the 
IPPC Standards Committee on draft international standards.
    The information in this notice includes all the information 
available to us on NAPPO standards currently under development or 
consideration. For updates on meeting times and for information on the 
working panels that becomes available following publication of this 
notice, check the NAPPO web page at http://www.nappo.org or contact 
Narcy Klag, Coordinator for International Phytosanitary Standards, PPQ, 
APHIS, USDA, 4700 River Road, Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737; e-mail: 
[email protected]. For information on official U.S. participation 
in NAPPO activities, including U.S. positions on standards being 
considered, contact Mr. Narcy Klag at the above address.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 21st day of September 2000.
Chester A. Gipson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 00-24841 Filed 9-26-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P