[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 9 (Wednesday, January 14, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1889-1890]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-00431]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2014-0047]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Food

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA) are sponsoring a public meeting on March 19, 2015. The objective 
of the public meeting is to provide information and receive public 
comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that 
will be discussed at the 22nd Session of the Codex Committee on 
Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF) of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking place in San Jose, Costa Rica, 
from April 27-May 1, 2015. The Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety 
and the Food and Drug Administration recognize the importance of 
providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain background 
information on the 22nd Session of CCRVDF, and to address items on the 
agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2015 
from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the Jamie L. Whitten 
Building, United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Ave., Room 107-A, Washington, DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 22nd Session of CCRVDF will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    Kevin Greenlees, U.S. Delegate to the 22nd Session of the CCRVDF, 
invites U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following email address: [email protected].
    Call In Number: If you wish to participate in the public meeting 
for the 22nd Session of the CCRVDF, by conference call. Please use the 
call in number.
    Call in Number: 1-888-858-2144.
    The participant code will be posted on the Web page below: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings.
    Registration: Attendees may register by emailing 
[email protected] by March 14, 2015. Early registration is 
encouraged because it will expedite entry into the building. The 
meeting will be held in a Federal building, you should also bring photo 
identification and plan for adequate time to pass through security 
screening systems. Attendees that are not able to attend the meeting 
in-person but wish to participate may do so by phone. Those wishing to 
participate by phone should check the following link http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings/public-meetings for the call-in 
number and participant code when they register for the meeting.
    For Further Information About the 22nd Session of the CCRVDF 
Contact: Kevin Greenlees, Senior Advisor for Science & Policy, Food and 
Drug Administration, Office of New Animal Drug Evaluation, Center for 
Veterinary Medicine, 7520 Standish Place, HFV-100, Rockville, MD 20855, 
Tel: (240) 276-8214, Fax: (240) 276-9538, email: 
[email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Kenneth 
Lowery, US CODEX Office, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, Tel: (202) 690-4042, Fax: (202) 720-3157, email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius (Codex) was established in 1963 by two 
United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization 
(FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). Through adoption of food 
standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its 
committees, and by promoting their adoption and implementation by 
governments, Codex seeks to protect the health of consumers and ensure 
fair practices in the food trade.
    The CCRVDF is responsible for determining priorities for the 
consideration of residues of veterinary drugs in foods, recommending 
maximum levels of such substances; developing codes of practice as may 
be required, and considering methods of sampling and analysis for the 
determination of veterinary drug residues in foods.
    The Committee is hosted by the United States of America.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 21st Session of the 
CCRVDF will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Discussion paper regarding the issues and concerns that impact 
the ability of the CCRVDF to efficiently perform its work
 Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and 
other Codex Committees
 Matters of Interest arising from FAO/WHO and from the 78th 
Meeting of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA)

[[Page 1890]]

 Report of the OIE activities, including the harmonization of 
technical requirements for registration of veterinary medicinal 
products (VICH)
 Draft maximum residue levels (MRLs) for monepantel, at Step 7
 Proposed draft MRLs for derquantel, at Step 4
 Proposed draft MRLs for derquantel, emamectin benzoate, 
ivermectin, lasalocid sodium, and monepantel, at Step 3
 Proposed draft RMRs for dimitridazole, ipronnidazole, 
metronidazole, and ronidazole, at Step 4
 Draft provisions on establishment of MRLs for honey (for 
inclusion on the Risk Analysis Principles applied by the CCRVDF)
 Draft Priority list of veterinary drugs requiring evaluation 
or re-evaluation by JECFA (Report of the Electronic Working Group (EWG) 
on Priority)
 Alternative approach to move compounds from the database on 
countries need for MRLs to the JECFA Priority List (Report of the EWG 
on countries need for MRLs)
 Database on countries needs for MRLs
 Other business and future work.

    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat prior to the Meeting. Members 
of the public may access or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 19, 2015, public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the 
agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will have 
the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments 
may be offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Delegate for the 22nd 
session of the CCRVDF, Kevin Greenlees (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 22nd 
Session of the CCRVDF.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this publication available through 
the FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information 
regarding FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register 
notices, FSIS public meetings, and other types of information that 
could affect or would be of interest to our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email subscription 
service which provides automatic and customized access to selected food 
safety news and information. This service is available at: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How to File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or email:

Mail

    U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 
1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.

Fax

    (202) 690-7442.

Email

    [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.), should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on January 9, 2015.
Paulo Almeida,
Acting, U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2015-00431 Filed 1-13-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P