[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 204 (Monday, October 24, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61423-61428]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E5-5853]


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 Notices
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  Federal Register / Vol. 70, No. 204 / Monday, October 24, 2005 / 
Notices  

[[Page 61423]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket 05-063-1]


International Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard-Setting 
Activities

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice and request for 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 World Organization for Animal Health, 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: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
    Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov and, 
in the ``Search for Open Regulations'' box, select ``Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service'' from the agency drop-down menu, then click 
on ``Submit.'' In the Docket ID column, select APHIS-2005-0097 to 
submit or view public comments and to view supporting and related 
materials available electronically. After the close of the comment 
period, the docket can be viewed using the ``Advanced Search'' function 
in Regulations.gov.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Please send four copies 
of your comment (an original and three copies) to Docket No. 05-063-1, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3C71, 4700 
River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please state that your 
comment refers to Docket No. 05-063-1.
    Reading Room: 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.
    Other Information: Additional information about APHIS and its 
programs is available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For general information on the topics 
covered in this notice, 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. For specific information regarding standard-setting 
activities of the World Organization for Animal Health, contact Dr. 
Michael David, Director, Sanitary International Standards Team, VS, 
APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 20737-1231; (301) 734-
5324. For specific information regarding the standard-setting 
activities of the International Plant Protection Convention or the 
North American Plant Protection Organization, contact Mr. Narcy Klag, 
Program Director, Phytosanitary Issues Management, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 
River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; (301) 734-8469.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    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 Agreements 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 World Organization for Animal Health (OIE, 
formerly known as the Office International des Epizooties), 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. The United States Department 
of Agriculture's (USDA's) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) 
informs the public of Codex standard-setting activities, and USDA's 
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)

[[Page 61424]]

informs the public of OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO standard-setting activities.
    FSIS publishes 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 an annual notice of OIE, IPPC, 
and NAPPO activities related to international standards for plant and 
animal health 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 
organizations. We have described 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.
    The agendas for these meetings are subject to change, and the draft 
standards identified in this notice may not be sufficiently developed 
and ready for adoption as indicated. Also, while it is the intent of 
the United States to support adoption of international standards and to 
participate actively and fully in their development, it should be 
recognized that the U.S. position on a specific draft standard will 
depend on the acceptability of the final draft. Given the dynamic and 
interactive nature of the standard-setting process, we encourage any 
persons who are interested in the most current details about a specific 
draft standard or the U.S. position on a particular standard-setting 
issue, or in providing comments on a specific standard that may be 
under development, to contact APHIS. Contact information is provided at 
the beginning of this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.

OIE Standard-Setting Activities

    The OIE was established in Paris, France, in 1924 with the signing 
of an international agreement by 28 countries. It is currently composed 
of 167 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 disease events, 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 by sharing scientific research 
among its members. The major functions of the OIE are to collect and 
disseminate information on the distribution and occurrence of animal 
diseases and to ensure that science-based 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 the free status of member countries for 
certain diseases, categorizes animal diseases with respect to their 
international significance, publishes bulletins on global disease 
status, and provides animal disease control guidelines to member 
countries. Various OIE commissions and working groups undertake the 
development and preparation of draft standards, which 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 May 21-26, 2006, in 
Paris, France. Currently, the Minister-Counselor and APHIS Regional 
Director for Europe, Middle East, and Africa is the official U.S. 
delegate to the OIE. The Minister-Counselor and APHIS Regional Director 
intends to participate in the proceedings and will discuss or comment 
on APHIS' position on any standard up for adoption. Information about 
current and past OIE draft Code chapters may be found on the Internet 
at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/oie/ or by contacting Dr. Michael 
David (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).

OIE Code Chapters Up for Adoption

    Existing Code chapters that may be revised and new chapters that 
may be drafted in preparation for the next General Session in 2006 
include the following:

1. Avian Influenza and Its Associated Appendix on Surveillance

    The new proposed chapter on avian influenza introduces some 
significant changes. Only minor changes were incorporated into the 
chapter during the General Session. The more substantive country 
comments submitted to the OIE were carefully considered by the Code 
Commission during their September meeting. Any changes made during that 
meeting will be provided to member countries for review during late 
October or early November 2005.

2. Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Its Associated Appendix on 
Surveillance

    This chapter and its associated appendix on FMD surveillance has 
been updated to reflect current knowledge of FMD epidemiology and 
surveillance.

3. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and Its Associated Appendix 
on Surveillance

    This chapter was adopted with several amendments. There is a 
commitment by the OIE to reconvene the ad hoc group to work on the Type 
A and Type B surveillance models mentioned in the appendix to better 
define these levels of surveillance and to clarify any sampling levels 
that may be recommended. Countries classified under the five-category 
system for BSE will retain their current classification for a 1-year 
transition period, after which time they will be reclassified under the 
new three-level classification system.

4. Zoning and Compartmentalization \1\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    \1\ This chapter was formerly known as Regionalization and 
Compartmentalization. The OIE is proposing the use of the term 
``zoning'' in place of the term ``regionalization'' for this chapter 
to minimize confusion between member countries.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This chapter was modified to include language on partnership 
between the national veterinary services and the private sector, and to 
clarify the role of the national veterinary services in ensuring the 
integrity of a given compartment.

5. Criteria for Listing Diseases

    This chapter is continuously being updated to reflect changes to 
the list of animal diseases that are required to be reported by Member 
Countries.

6. General Guidelines for Animal Health Surveillance

    This is a new appendix that provides some generic guidelines for 
Member Countries on the criteria to consider when embarking on animal 
health surveillance programs.

7. Bluetongue

    This chapter was recently updated to reflect the current knowledge 
on bluetongue virus epidemiology.

[[Page 61425]]

8. Classical Swine Fever

    This chapter was updated slightly to reflect current knowledge on 
classical swine fever virus epidemiology.

Code Commission Future Work Program

    During the next few years, the OIE Code Commission is expected to 
address the following issues or establish ad hoc groups of experts to 
update and/or develop standards for the following issues:

1. Companion Animal Welfare

    This would be a new chapter intended to provide guidelines for the 
control of feral companion animals in urban settings.

2. Wildlife and Zoo Animal Welfare

    This would be a new chapter intended to provide guidelines on the 
harvesting or culling of zoological and wildlife animals.

3. Laboratory Animal Welfare

    This would be a new chapter intended to provide guidelines for the 
housing of laboratory animals, the use of animals in regulatory 
testing, and alternatives to animal use.

4. Terrestrial Animal Welfare

    This would be a new chapter intended to provide general guidelines 
for the housing and production of terrestrial animals.

5. Animal Identification and Traceability

    This would be a new chapter intended to improve procedures for 
identifying animals and animal products and monitoring their movements.

6. Johne's Disease (Paratuberculosis)

    This would represent a complete redrafting of a current OIE Code 
chapter that has been determined to be outdated. A draft should be 
available within 1 or 2 years.

7. Brucellosis

    This would represent a complete redrafting of a current OIE Code 
chapter that has been determined to be outdated.

8. African Horsesickness

    This would represent a complete redrafting of a current OIE Code 
chapter that has been determined to be outdated.

9. Surra

    This would represent a complete redrafting of a current OIE Code 
chapter that has been determined to be outdated.

10. Dourine

    This would represent a complete redrafting of a current OIE Code 
chapter that has been determined to be outdated.

The Process

    These chapters are drafted (or revised) by either the Code 
Commission or by ad hoc groups composed of technical experts nominated 
by the Director General of the OIE by virtue of their subject-area 
expertise. Once a new chapter is drafted or an existing one revised, 
the chapter is distributed to member countries for review and comment. 
The OIE attempts to provide proposed chapters by late October to allow 
member countries sufficient time for comment. Comments are due by early 
February of the following year. The draft standard is revised by the 
OIE Code Commission on the basis of relevant scientific comments 
received from member countries.
    The United States (i.e., USDA/APHIS) intends to review and, where 
appropriate, comment on all draft chapters and revisions once it 
receives them from the OIE. USDA/APHIS intends to distribute these 
drafts to the U.S. livestock and aquaculture industries, veterinary 
experts in various U.S. academic institutions, and other interested 
persons for review and comment. Additional information regarding these 
draft standards may be obtained by contacting Dr. Michael David (see 
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).
    Generally, if a country has concerns with a particular draft 
standard, and supports those concerns with sound technical information, 
the pertinent OIE Code Commission will revise that standard accordingly 
and present the revised draft 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 review, comment, and make decisions 
regarding the adoption of standards strictly on their scientific 
merits.

Other OIE Topics

    Every year at the General Session, two technical items are 
presented. For the May 2006 General Session, the following technical 
items will be presented:
    1. Future approaches needed to ensure that veterinary education 
meets social demands.
    2. Economic and social justification for investment in animal 
health and zoonosis.
    The information in this notice includes all the information 
available to us on OIE standards currently under development or 
consideration. Information on OIE standards is available on the 
Internet at http://www.oie.int. Further, a formal agenda for the next 
General Session should be available to member countries by March 2006, 
and copies will be available to the public once the agenda is 
published. For the most current information on meeting times, working 
groups, and/or meeting agendas, including information on official U.S. 
participation in OIE activities, and U.S. positions on standards being 
considered, contact Dr. Michael David (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT above). Those wishing to provide comments on any areas of work 
under the OIE may do so at any time by responding to this notice (see 
ADDRESSES above) or by providing comments through Dr. Michael David.

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.

[[Page 61426]]

    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 on the thirtieth day after two-thirds of the 
current contracting parties notify the Director General of FAO of their 
acceptance of the amendment. At this date, 87 of the required 92 member 
countries have deposited their official letters of acceptance. The U.S. 
Senate gave its advice and consent to acceptance of the newly revised 
IPPC on October 18, 2000. The President submitted the official letter 
of acceptance to the FAO Director General on October 4, 2001.
    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) program. 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 of the IPPC in a 
standardized format on a 2-year cycle. Alternately, the Secretariat can 
propose a new standard or amendments to existing standards.
    Step 2: After review by the Standards Committee and the Strategic 
Planning and Technical Assistance Working Group, 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 regional plant protection 
organizations (RPPOs) for comment (60 days). Comments are submitted in 
writing to the Secretariat. Taking into account the comments, the 
Standards Committee finalizes the specifications.
    Step 4: The standard is drafted or revised in accordance with the 
specifications by a working group designated by the Standards 
Committee. 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 RPPOs for consultation 
(100 days). Comments are submitted in writing to the Secretariat. Where 
appropriate, the Standards Committee may establish open-ended 
discussion groups as forums 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: Review of the ISPM is completed by the specified date or 
such other date as may be agreed upon by the ICPM.
    Each member country is represented on the 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 each member country 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. The United States also has a representative on the Standards 
Committee. In addition, documents and positions developed by APHIS and 
NAPPO have been sources of significant input for many of the standards 
adopted to date. This notice describes each of the IPPC standards 
currently under consideration or up for adoption. The full text of each 
standard will be available on the Internet at http://www.aphis.gov/ppq/pim/standards/. Interested individuals may review the standards posted 
on this Web site and submit comments via the Web site.
    The next ICPM meeting is scheduled for April 3-7, 2006, at FAO 
Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The Deputy Administrator for APHIS' PPQ 
program is the U.S. delegate to the ICPM. The Deputy Administrator 
intends to participate in the proceedings and will discuss or comment 
on APHIS' position on any standards up for adoption. The provisional 
agenda for the Eighth Session of the Interim Commission on 
Phytosanitary Measures is as follows:
    1. Opening of the session.
    2. Adoption of the agenda.
    3. Report by the chairperson.
    4. Report by the Secretariat.
    5. Standards up for adoption in 2006.
    6. Items arising from the Seventh Session of the ICPM (see section 
below entitled ``New Standard Setting Initiatives'' for details).
    7. Work program for harmonization.
    8. Status of the 1997 revised IPPC.
    9. Other business.
    10. Date and venue of the next meeting.
    11. Adoption of the report.

IPPC Standards Up for Adoption in 2006

    It is expected that the following standards will be sufficiently 
developed to be considered by the ICPM for adoption at its April 2006 
meeting. The United States, represented by APHIS' Deputy Administrator 
for PPQ, will participate in the consideration of these standards. The 
U.S. position on each of these issues will be developed prior to the 
ICPM session and will be based on APHIS' analysis, information from 
other U.S. Government agencies, and relevant scientific information 
from interested stakeholders. The standards that are most likely to be 
considered for adoption include:

1. Revision of ISPM 1, Principles for the Protection of Plant Health

    This standard describes principles and concepts for the protection 
of plant health that are embodied in the New Revised Text of the IPPC 
(1997). It covers principles related to the protection of plants, 
including cultivated and non-cultivated/unmanaged plants and wild 
flora, principles regarding the application of phytosanitary measures 
to the international movement of people, commodities, and conveyances, 
as well as other principles and concepts inherent in the objectives of 
the IPPC (1997).

[[Page 61427]]

2. Guidelines for Consignments in Transit

    This standard describes procedures to identify, assess, and manage 
phytosanitary risks associated with consignments of regulated articles 
passing through, but not destined for, the territory of a country, in 
such manner that any phytosanitary measures applied in the country of 
transit are technically justified and necessary to prevent the 
introduction into and/or spread of pests within that country.

3. Requirements for the Establishment and Maintenance of Pest-Free 
Areas for Tephritid Fruit Flies

    This standard provides the guidelines to establish, maintain, and 
verify pest-free areas for tephritid fruit flies. This standard applies 
to all fruit flies of economic importance.

4. Diagnostic Protocols for Regulated Pests

    This standard provides specific guidance on the structure and 
content of diagnostic protocols. It also provides guidance on how these 
protocols will be initiated, reviewed, and published. These protocols 
describe procedures and methods for the detection and identification of 
pests that are regulated by contracting parties and relevant for 
international trade. They are addressed to diagnosticians/diagnostic 
laboratories performing official tests as part of phytosanitary 
measures. They provide at least the minimum requirements for reliable 
diagnosis of the relevant pests.

5. Requirements for the Submission of Phytosanitary Treatments

    This standard describes the criteria for a phytosanitary treatment 
and the requirements for submitting a proposed phytosanitary treatment 
for inclusion in the ISPM under development on phytosanitary 
treatments. Treatments considered in this standard are applied to 
commodities or to regulated articles. Pesticide registration is the 
responsibility of each contracting party and is not part of this 
standard.

New Standard-Setting Initiatives, Including Those in Development

    A number of expert working group meetings or other technical 
consultations will take place during 2005 and 2006 on the topics listed 
below. These standard-setting initiatives are not expected to be 
completed prior to April 2006 and, therefore, will not be ready for 
adoption at the 2006 ICPM session. Nonetheless, APHIS intends to 
participate actively and fully in each of these working groups. The 
U.S. position on each of the topics to be addressed by these various 
working groups will be developed prior to these working group meetings 
and will be based on APHIS' technical analysis, information from other 
U.S. Government agencies, and relevant scientific information from 
interested stakeholders.

1. Classification of Commodities by Phytosanitary Risk to Level of 
Processing and Intended Use

    This will be developed as a concept standard and provide guidance 
for NPPOs for facilitating the classification of different types of 
commodities into phytosanitary risk categories, taking into account the 
level of processing and the intended use. It will also provide guidance 
for determining risk management measures expressed as import 
phytosanitary requirements for plants, plant products, and regulated 
articles.

2. Guidelines for Formatting/Drafting Pest and Commodity Specific ISPMs

    These standards will provide guidelines for formatting a list of 
pests associated with commodities and phytosanitary measures related to 
the commodity and for formatting aspects of a data sheet of a pest and/
or a phytosanitary measure related to that specific pest.

3. Debarking of Wood and Bark Freedom

    This standard will provide a practical and useful description of 
what constitutes debarked and bark-free wood. This standard, therefore, 
will propose tolerances for bark in relation to the definitions of 
debarked and bark-free wood.

4. Guidelines on Sampling of Consignments

    This standard will provide guidelines on sampling for import, 
export, and transit of consignments.

5. Post-Entry Quarantine Facilities

    This standard will provide information on the design and operation 
of containment facilities at different security levels where organisms, 
including plants and biocontrol agents, can be grown in an environment 
where there is minimal potential for the escape of pests.
    For more detailed information on the above topics, which will be 
addressed by various working groups established by the ICPM, contact 
Mr. Narcy Klag (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).
    APHIS posts draft standards on the Internet (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/pim/standards/) as they become available and 
provides information on when comments on standards are due. Additional 
information on IPPC standards is available on the FAO's Web site at 
http://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/default.htm. For the most current 
information on official U.S. participation in IPPC activities, 
including U.S. positions on standards being considered, contact Mr. 
Narcy Klag (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). Those wishing 
to provide comments on any of the areas of work being undertaken by the 
IPPC may do so at any time by responding to this notice (see ADDRESSES 
above) or by providing comments through Mr. Klag.

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/pim/standards/; interested persons may submit 
comments via that Web site. 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 17-21, 2005, in 
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The NAPPO Executive Committee meeting will 
take place on October 16, 2005, and a special session will be held on 
October 17, 2005, to solicit comment from industry groups so that 
suggestions can be incorporated into the NAPPO work plan for the 2006 
NAPPO year. The Deputy Administrator for PPQ is a member of the NAPPO 
Executive Committee. The

[[Page 61428]]

Deputy Administrator intends to participate in the proceedings and will 
discuss or comment on APHIS' position on any standard up for adoption 
or any proposals to develop new standards.
    The work plan for 2005 was established after the October 2004 
Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The Deputy Administrator for PPQ 
participated in establishing this NAPPO work plan (see panel 
assignments below). Below is a summary of current panel assignments as 
they relate to the ongoing development of NAPPO standards. The United 
States (i.e., USDA/APHIS) intends to participate actively and fully in 
the work of each of these panels. The U.S. position on each topic will 
be guided and informed by the best scientific information available on 
each of these topics. For each of the following panels, the United 
States will consider its position on any draft standard after it 
reviews a prepared draft. Information regarding the following NAPPO 
panel topics, assignments, activities, and updates on meeting times and 
locations may be obtained from the NAPPO homepage at http://www.nappo.org or by contacting Mr. Narcy Klag (see FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT above).

1. Accreditation Panel

    The panel will develop an audit protocol for reviewing compliance 
with the NAPPO laboratory accreditation standard (RSPM No. 9). They 
will then use this protocol to audit the programs in the three NAPPO 
countries starting with the United States. They will review and update 
the current NAPPO laboratory accreditation standard (RSPM No. 9).

2. Biological Control Panel

    This panel will complete the Taxonomic Resources Position Paper, 
develop guidelines for the movement of commercial shipments of 
arthropod biological control agents among NAPPO member countries, and 
exchange information on biological control programs in the NAPPO 
countries.

3. Biotechnology Panel

    This panel will continue to 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. The final module, importation 
for uses other than propagation, will be developed.

4. Citrus Panel

    The panel will update the pest lists in the Citrus Standard, based 
on new pest information.

5. Electronic Phytosanitary Certification Panel

    This panel will develop guidelines for the electronic transmission 
of phytosanitary certificates.

6. Forestry Panel

    This panel will coordinate the implementation of ISPM 15 by NAPPO 
member countries.

7. Fruit Panel

    The panel will coordinate with other appropriate panels to start 
the development of a standard for the use of genetically modified fruit 
flies in North America.

8. Grapevine Panel

    The panel will provide direction and support to the Technical 
Advisory Group to include insects and nematodes in the NAPPO standard 
for grapevines (RSPM No. 15). They will participate in the development 
of the NAPPO standard on plants for planting.

9. Potato Panel

    The panel will develop an appendix to RSPM No. 3 on nematode 
identification and update appendix 5 based on the latest molecular 
information for potato virus YN (PVYn).

10. Propagative Material Panel

    The panel will complete the standard on plants for planting.

11. Standards Panel

    The panel will continue to provide updates on standards for the 
NAPPO newsletter, coordinate the review of new and amended NAPPO 
standards and ensure that comments received during the country 
consultation phase are incorporated as appropriate, organize conference 
calls and prepare NAPPO discussion documents for possible use at the 
IPPC, and promote implementation of recently adopted standards.
    The PPQ Deputy Administrator, as the official U.S. delegate to 
NAPPO, intends to participate in the adoption of these regional plant 
health standards, including the work described above, once they are 
completed and ready for such consideration.
    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 may become available following publication of this 
notice, check the NAPPO Web site on the Internet at http://www.nappo.org or contact Mr. Narcy Klag (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT above). Information on official U.S. participation in NAPPO 
activities, including U.S. positions on standards being considered, may 
also be obtained from Mr. Klag. Those wishing to provide comments on 
any of the topics being addressed by any of the NAPPO panels may do so 
at any time by responding to this notice (see ADDRESSES above) or by 
transmitting comments through Mr. Klag.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 18th day of October 2005.
Elizabeth E. Gaston,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E5-5853 Filed 10-21-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P