[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 6 (Wednesday, January 9, 2002)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 1072-1074]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-454]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

9 CFR Part 94

[Docket No. 01-031-3]


Change in Disease Status of The Netherlands and Northern Ireland 
With Regard to Foot-and-Mouth Disease

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Final rule.

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SUMMARY: We are amending the regulations governing the importation of 
certain animals, meat, and other animal products by adding The 
Netherlands and Northern Ireland to the list of regions considered free 
of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and to the list of 
regions subject to certain import restrictions on meat and animal 
products because of their proximity to or trading relationships with 
rinderpest-or FMD-affected regions. This final rule follows interim 
rules that removed France, Great Britain, Ireland, The Netherlands, and 
Northern Ireland from those lists due to detection of FMD in those 
regions. Based on the results of an evaluation of the current FMD 
situation in The Netherlands and Northern Ireland, we have determined 
that The Netherlands and Northern Ireland meet the standards of the 
Office International des Epizooties for being considered free of FMD. 
This rule relieves certain prohibitions and restrictions on the 
importation of ruminants and swine and fresh (chilled or frozen) meat 
and other products of ruminants and swine into the United States from 
The Netherlands and Northern Ireland.

EFFECTIVE DATE: January 9, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Anne Goodman, Senior Staff 
Microbiologist, Regionalization Evaluation Services Staff, VS, APHIS, 
4700 River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-4356.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred to below as the 
regulations) govern the importation of certain animals and animal 
products into the United States in order to prevent the introduction of 
various animal diseases, including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth disease 
(FMD), African swine fever, hog cholera (also known as classical swine 
fever), and swine vesicular disease. These are dangerous and 
destructive communicable diseases of ruminants and swine. Section 94.1 
of the regulations lists regions of the world that are considered free 
of rinderpest or free of both rinderpest and FMD. Rinderpest or FMD is 
considered to exist in all parts of the world not listed. Section 94.11 
of the regulations lists regions of the world that the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has determined to be free of 
rinderpest and FMD, but from which importation of meat and animal 
products into the United States is restricted because of the regions' 
proximity to or trading relationships with rinderpest-or FMD-affected 
regions.
    In an interim rule effective January 15, 2001, and published in the 
Federal Register on March 14, 2001 (66 FR 14825-14826, Docket No. 01-
018-1), we amended the regulations by removing Great Britain and 
Northern Ireland from the list of regions considered to be free of 
rinderpest and FMD. (The Federal Register published a correction (66 FR 
18357) to the interim rule on April 6, 2001.) In an interim rule 
effective February 19, 2001, and published in the Federal Register on 
June 1, 2001 (66 FR 29686-29689, Docket No. 01-031-1), we amended the 
regulations by removing France, Ireland, and The Netherlands from the 
list of regions considered to be free of rinderpest and FMD. These 
actions were necessary because FMD had been confirmed in each of those 
regions. The effect of the interim rules was to prohibit or restrict 
the importation of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or 
frozen) meat and other products of ruminants or swine into the United 
States from Great Britain, Northern Ireland, France, Ireland, and The 
Netherlands.
    In those interim rules, we recognized that the appropriate 
authorities had responded to the detection of FMD by imposing 
restrictions on the movement of ruminants, swine, and ruminant and 
swine products from FMD-affected areas; by conducting heightened 
surveillance activities; and by initiating measures to eradicate the 
disease. We stated that we intended to reassess the situations at a 
future date in accordance with Office International des Epizooties 
(OIE) standards, and that as part of that reassessment process, we 
would consider all comments received regarding the interim rules. 
Additionally, we stated that the future reassessments would enable us 
to determine whether it was necessary to continue to prohibit or 
restrict the importation of ruminants or swine and any fresh (chilled 
or frozen) meat and other products of ruminants or swine from Great 
Britain, Northern Ireland, France, Ireland, and The Netherlands, or 
whether we could restore some or all of those regions to the list of 
regions in which FMD is not known to exist or, alternatively, 
regionalize portions of those regions as FMD-free.
    We solicited comments concerning Docket No. 01-018-1 for 60 days 
ending May 14, 2001, and received one comment by that date, submitted 
by a medical product manufacturer, requesting permission to import a 
specific medical product for human use that would otherwise be 
prohibited importation from regions not listed as free of FMD. As a 
result of this request, we determined that the product could be 
imported with negligible risk of FMD, and allowed the product to be 
imported in accordance with Sec. 94.3, which allows certain types of 
products to be imported from FMD-affected regions for pharmaceutical or 
biological purposes.
    We solicited comments concerning Docket No. 01-031-1 for 60 days 
ending July 31, 2001, and received four comments by that date. They 
were from businesses, a livestock association, and a Member State of 
the European Union. We addressed those comments in a final rule (66 FR 
55872-55876, Docket No. 01-031-2), published in the Federal Register 
and effective November 5, 2001, in which we restored France and Ireland 
to both the list of regions considered to be free of rinderpest and FMD 
and the list of regions subject to certain import restrictions on meat 
and animal products because of their proximity to or trading 
relationships with rinderpest-or FMD-affected regions.
    One of the four comments we received suggested that The Netherlands 
be recognized as FMD free, claiming that the Netherlands would be free 
of the disease by August 25, 2001. We made no changes to the FMD status 
of the Netherlands in the November 5 final rule, but responded that we 
were continuing to monitor that country's progress with respect to the 
disease and were reevaluating its FMD status. We stated that we would 
publish a separate document in the Federal Register with respect to the 
FMD status of The Netherlands when our evaluation was complete.

[[Page 1073]]

Status of The Netherlands and Northern Ireland

    In this final rule, we are restoring The Netherlands and Northern 
Ireland to the list in Sec. 94.1(a) of regions that are considered to 
be free of rinderpest and FMD. Our reasons follow.
    According to the OIE, when FMD occurs in an FMD-free country or 
zone where vaccination is not practiced before the outbreak, the 
following waiting periods are required to regain FMD-free status:
     In cases where stamping-out and serological surveillance 
are applied, 3 months after the last case; or
     In cases where emergency vaccination, stamping out, and 
serological surveillance are applied, 3 months after the slaughter of 
the last vaccinated animal.
    Neither Northern Ireland nor The Netherlands vaccinated animals 
against FMD before the initial outbreaks that were confirmed in 
Northern Ireland on February 28, 2001, and in The Netherlands on March 
21, 2001. Both countries initiated immediate destruction of affected 
animals and conducted clinical and serological surveillance. 
Additionally, The Netherlands adopted a policy of emergency 
vaccination.
    The last case of FMD in Northern Ireland occurred on April 20, 
2001, and the last case of FMD in The Netherlands occurred on April 22, 
2001. The last vaccinated animal in The Netherlands was slaughtered on 
May 25, 2001. We find that Northern Ireland as well as The Netherlands 
meet the OIE standards for regaining FMD-free status.
    We have evaluated the FMD eradication efforts in The Netherlands 
and Northern Ireland based on information provided to us by those 
regions and our own site visits. Our findings and site visit reports 
may be viewed on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/reg-request.html. You may also request paper copies of these documents by 
calling or writing the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT. Please refer to Docket No. 01-031-3 when requesting copies. 
These documents are also available 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.)
    Based on our findings and after reviewing comments submitted to us 
on the interim rules, we are amending the regulations by restoring The 
Netherlands and Northern Ireland to the list in Sec. 94.1(a)(2) of 
regions that are declared free of both rinderpest and FMD. We are also 
restoring The Netherlands and Northern Ireland to the list in 
Sec. 94.11(a) of regions that are declared free of rinderpest and FMD 
but that are subject to special restrictions on the importation of 
their meat and other animal products into the United States. The 
regions listed in Sec. 94.11(a) are subject to these special 
restrictions because they: (1) Supplement their national meat supply by 
importing fresh (chilled or frozen) meat of ruminants or swine from 
regions that are designated in Sec. 94.1(a) as regions where rinderpest 
or FMD exists; (2) have a common land border with regions where 
rinderpest or FMD exists; or (3) import ruminants or swine from regions 
where rinderpest or FMD exists under conditions less restrictive than 
would be acceptable for importation into the United States.
    This action relieves certain restrictions due to FMD and rinderpest 
on the importation into the United States of certain live animals and 
animal products from The Netherlands and Northern Ireland. However, 
because The Netherlands and Northern Ireland have certain trade 
practices regarding animals and animal products that are less 
restrictive than are acceptable for importation into the United States, 
the importation of meat and other products from ruminants and swine 
into the United States from The Netherlands and Northern Ireland 
continues to be subject to certain restrictions.

Effective Date

    This is a substantive rule that relieves restrictions and, pursuant 
to the provisions of 5 U.S.C. 553, may be made effective less than 30 
days after publication in the Federal Register. This rule restores The 
Netherlands and Northern Ireland to the list of regions considered free 
of FMD. Immediate action is necessary to remove restrictions on the 
importation of animals, meat, and other animal products that are no 
longer necessary. Therefore, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service has determined that this rule should be 
effective upon publication in the Federal Register.

Executive Order 12866 and Regulatory Flexibility Act

    This rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12866. For this 
action, the Office of Management and Budget has waived its review 
process required by Executive Order 12866.
    We are amending the regulations governing the importation of 
certain animals, meat, and other animal products by adding The 
Netherlands and Northern Ireland to the list of regions considered to 
be free of rinderpest and FMD and to the list of regions that are 
subject to certain import restrictions on meat and animal products 
because of their proximity to or trading relationships with rinderpest-
or FMD-affected regions. This final rule follows interim rules that 
removed Great Britain, Northern Ireland, France, Ireland, and The 
Netherlands from those lists due to detection of FMD in those regions. 
Based on the results of an evaluation of the current FMD situation in 
The Netherlands and Northern Ireland, we have determined that The 
Netherlands and Northern Ireland meet the standards of OIE for being 
considered free of FMD. This rule relieves certain prohibitions and 
restrictions on the importation of ruminants and swine and fresh 
(chilled or frozen) meat and other products of ruminants and swine into 
the United States from The Netherlands and Northern Ireland.
    The Netherlands and Northern Ireland have not generally been major 
sources of U.S. imports of the products covered by the interim rule and 
this final rule, which include live ruminants, live swine, fresh 
(chilled or frozen) meat of ruminants and swine, processed ruminant and 
swine meat, some dairy products, animal feeds, and other ruminant and 
swine products such as semen, embryos, untanned hides and skins, 
unwashed wool, hair, bones, blood, and some other byproducts. Also, 
past imports of these products from The Netherlands and Northern 
Ireland represent a small fraction of the total U.S. imports or total 
U.S. production of these products. This final rule is not expected to 
alter these past trade patterns.
    The majority of entities potentially affected by this final rule 
are considered small. For example, in 1997, approximately 97 percent 
(2,919 of 2,992) of meat and meat product wholesalers, 99 percent 
(1,490 of 1,503) of livestock wholesalers,\1\ 92 percent (79,155 of 
86,022) of dairy farms, 99.3 percent (651,542 of 656,181) of cattle 
farms, 87 percent (40,185 of 46,353) of hog and pig farms, 99.5 percent 
(29,790 of 29,938) of sheep and goat farms,\2\ 98 percent (1,272 of 
1,297) of slaughtering establishments, and 95 percent (1,324 of

[[Page 1074]]

1,393) of meat processing establishments \3\ would be considered small 
entities under the criteria set by the Small Business Administration. 
However, these entities should be little affected by this rulemaking 
because of the negligible effect on imports.
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    \1\ 1997 Economic Census, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the 
Census.
    \2\ 1997 Census of Agriculture, USDA, National Agricultural 
Statistics Service.
    \3\ 1997 Economic Census, Department of Commerce, Bureau of the 
Census.
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    Under these circumstances, the Administrator of the Animal and 
Plant Health Inspection Service has determined that this action would 
not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small 
entities.

Executive Order 12988

    This final rule has been reviewed under Executive Order 12988, 
Civil Justice Reform. This rule: (1) Preempts all State and local laws 
and regulations that are inconsistent with this rule; (2) has no 
retroactive effect; and (3) does not require administrative proceedings 
before parties may file suit in court challenging this rule.

Paperwork Reduction Act

    This final rule contains no information collection or recordkeeping 
requirements under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501 
et seq.).

List of Subjects in 9 CFR Part 94

    Animal diseases, Imports, Livestock, Meat and meat products, Milk, 
Poultry and poultry products, Reporting and recordkeeping requirements.

    Accordingly, we are amending 9 CFR part 94 as follows:

PART 94--RINDERPEST, FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE, FOWL PEST (FOWL 
PLAGUE), EXOTIC NEWCASTLE DISEASE, AFRICAN SWINE FEVER, HOG 
CHOLERA, AND BOVINE SPONGIFORM ENCEPHALOPATHY: PROHIBITED AND 
RESTRICTED IMPORTATIONS

    1. The authority citation for part 94 continues to read as follows:

    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7711, 7712, 7713,7714, 7751, and 7754; 
19 U.S.C. 1306; 21 U.S.C. 111, 114a, 134a, 134b, 134c, 134f, 136, 
and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 42 U.S.C. 4331 and 4332; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, 
and 371.4.


Sec. 94.1  [Amended]

    2. In Sec. 94.1, paragraph (a)(2) is amended by adding, in 
alphabetical order, the words ``The Netherlands,'' and ``Northern 
Ireland,''.


Sec. 94.11  [Amended]

    3. In Sec. 94.11, paragraph (a) is amended by adding, in 
alphabetical order, the words ``The Netherlands,'' and ``Northern 
Ireland,''.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 2nd day of January 2002.
W. Ron DeHaven,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 02-454 Filed 1-8-02; 8:45 am]
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