[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 174 (Tuesday, September 9, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53408-53409]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-21412]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

National Institute of Standards and Technology

[Docket Number: 140305199-4619-02]


Notice of Termination of Selected National Voluntary Conformity 
Assessment Systems Evaluation Program Services

AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 
Commerce.

ACTION: Notice; Termination of Selected NVCASE Program Services.

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SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) 
announces the termination of the Organic Production and Processing sub-
program offered by NIST's National Voluntary Conformity Assessment 
Systems Evaluation (NVCASE) program, effective January 1, 2016. NIST 
takes this action because there are now suitable alternative paths to 
foreign market access, and there would be no significant public 
disadvantage to terminating the Organic Production and Processing sub-
program.

DATES: Effective January 1, 2016, the NVCASE sub-program on Organic 
Production and Processing will be terminated.

ADDRESSES: Questions or comments regarding NVCASE should be directed to 
the NVCASE Program Manager, National Voluntary Conformity Assessment 
Systems Evaluation Program, National Institute of Standards and 
Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2100, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-2100, 
or by email to [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ramona Saar, National Institute of 
Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Stop 2100, Gaithersburg, MD 
20899-2100, email to [email protected], or phone 301-975-5521.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The National Institute of Standards and 
Technology (NIST) administers the National Voluntary Conformity 
Assessment Systems Evaluation (NVCASE) program under regulations

[[Page 53409]]

found in Part 286 of Title 15 of the Code of Federal Regulations.
    Under the NVCASE program NIST evaluates U.S.-based conformity 
assessment bodies in order to be able to provide assurances to a 
foreign government that qualifying bodies meet that government's 
requirements and can provide results that are acceptable to that 
government. The program is intended to provide a technically-based U.S. 
approval process for U.S. industry to gain foreign market access.
    On December 6, 2002, NIST received a request from a U.S. 
accreditation body to establish a sub-program, under the NVCASE 
program, for Organic Production and Processing. The stated objectives 
of the request were to provide confidence in the quality of this 
accreditation body's work, and to provide assurance that this 
accreditation body complied with the requirements of some foreign 
governments, thus facilitating the export of U.S. products.
    NIST, having determined that there was no satisfactory recognition 
alternative available and that there was evidence that significant 
public disadvantage would result from the absence of any alternative, 
established the NVCASE sub-program for Organic Production and 
Processing on November 4, 2003, following a public workshop held on May 
9, 2003. A notice was published in the Federal Register on November 4, 
2003, announcing the establishment of the program (68 FR 62434).
    In the decade since the establishment of the sub-program, the 
United States has made numerous trade arrangements to facilitate the 
international trade of organic products. The resulting changes in the 
international requirements have increased international market access 
for U.S. producers. NIST considers that there are now suitable 
alternative paths to foreign market access, and that there would be no 
significant public disadvantage to terminating the Organic Production 
and Processing sub-program.
    In a Federal Register notice published on April 15, 2014 (79 FR 
21210), NIST requested written comments on the intended termination of 
the Organic Production and Processing sub-program offered by NVCASE, 
and announced a 30-day comment period for that purpose. No comments 
were received.
    Accordingly, the NIST NVCASE program announces that it will cease 
to grant or renew recognition under the Organic Production and 
Processing sub-program, effective January 1, 2016. Conformity 
assessment bodies currently recognized under the sub-program will 
remain recognized until January 1, 2016, provided they continue to meet 
program requirements.

    Dated: August 29, 2014.
Willie E. May,
Associate Director of Laboratory Programs.
[FR Doc. 2014-21412 Filed 9-8-14; 8:45 am]
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