[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 145 (Friday, July 27, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 39136-39137]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-18780]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 01-061-1]


International Plant Protection Convention Standard on the Plant 
Pest Risks Associated With Living Modified Organisms; Public Meeting

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

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SUMMARY: We are giving notice of a public meeting to solicit comments 
on the development of an international standard concerning the plant 
pest risks associated with living modified organisms.

DATES: The public meeting will be held on August 23, 2001, from 10 a.m. 
to noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the USDA Center at 
Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, in Training Rooms 1 and 2.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Cathleen Enright, Director, 
Biotechnology Issues, PIM, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 140, 
Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-5342. For further information on 
APHIS' participation in international standard-setting activities, 
contact Mr. Narcy Klag, Manager, International Standards Management, 
PIM, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 Riverdale Road Unit 140, River, MD 20737-1236; 
(301) 734-8469.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The International Plant Protection 
Convention (IPPC) is recognized as the standard-setting body for 
international plant pest issues by the World Trade Organization. In 
April 2001, the IPPC's Interim Commission on Phytosanitary Measures 
(ICPM) recommended that an international standard be completed by April 
2004 to address the plant pest risks associated with living modified 
organisms (LMOs). At that time, the ICPM established an expert working 
group to develop detailed specifications for an LMO standard. The 
expert working group is expected to meet September 10-14, 2001.
    The decision to develop an international standard was the result of 
requests from IPPC member countries for guidance from the IPPC on 
evaluating LMOs as plant pests, and the subsequent recommendations made 
in June 2000 by a meeting of an IPPC working group charged with 
considering this issue. The need for a standard was further discussed 
at a public meeting held by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) on March 8, 2001 (see 66 FR 10874, Docket No. 01-012-1, 
published February 20, 2001). The transcript of the March 8 meeting is 
available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pim/standards/lmos.pdf.
    The April 2001 meeting of the ICPM also produced terms of reference 
for the expert working group to use in developing detailed 
specifications for a standard on the plant pest risks associated with 
LMOs. The expert working group will develop a detailed standard 
specification for consideration at the ICPM4 meeting, to be held March 
2002, that:
    1. Identifies the plant pest risks associated with LMOs/products of 
modern biotechnology;
    2. Identifies elements relevant to the assessment of these plant 
pest risks;
    3. Considers existing international regulatory frameworks and 
guidelines;
    4. Identifies areas within pest risk analysis standards and other 
international standards for phytosanitary measures (ISPMs) that are 
relevant to the phytosanitary aspects of LMOs/products of modern 
biotechnology; and
    5. Identifies the plant pest risks associated with LMOs/products of 
modern biotechnology that are not adequately addressed by existing 
ISPMs.
    The entire report from the April meeting is available on the 
Internet at http://www.fao.org/waicent/faoinfo/agricult/agp/agpp/pq/.
    We are holding this public meeting to solicit comments on the 
development of specifications for the LMO standard.
    This public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 23, 2001. The 
public meeting will begin at 10 a.m. and is scheduled to end at noon. 
Those wishing to speak at the meeting must register in advance on or 
before Monday, August 20, 2001. To register to speak, please e-mail Dr. 
Cathleen Enright at [email protected] or send a fax to 
Dr. Cathleen Enright at (301) 734-7639. Registrants should include 
their name, affiliation, address, and telephone number. Speakers are 
welcome, but not required, to submit written copies of their comments 
by e-mail to the address listed above. Depending on the number of 
registered speakers, limits may be imposed on the length of each 
speaker's presentation. The meeting will be recorded, and information 
about obtaining a transcript will be provided at the meeting.
    Participation by teleconference will be available. Those wishing to 
participate by phone should contact Dr. Cathleen Enright for phone-in 
information at the e-mail address listed above by Friday, August 17, 
2001. Finally, in lieu of attending the public meeting, interested 
persons may submit comments by mail or e-mail directly to Dr. Cathleen 
Enright at the addresses listed above.
    If you require special accommodations, such as a sign language 
interpreter, please contact either of the persons listed under FOR 
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

Parking and Security Procedures

    Please note that a fee of $2 is required to enter the parking lot 
at the USDA Center at Riverside. The machine accepts $1 bills or 
quarters.
    Upon entering the building, visitors should inform security 
personnel that they are attending the Living Modified Organisms public 
meeting. Identification is required. Security personnel will direct 
visitors to the registration tables located outside of Training Rooms 1 
and 2. Registration upon arrival is necessary for all participants, 
including those who have registered in advance to speak. Visitor badges 
must be worn throughout the day.
    Further information regarding the meeting and registration 
instructions may be obtained from either of the persons listed under 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 24th day of July 2001.
Bobby R. Acord,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 01-18780 Filed 7-26-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-U