[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8895-8896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03675]


 ========================================================================
 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
 
 ========================================================================
 

  Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2016 / 
Notices  

[[Page 8895]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2015-0011]


Recognizing European Union (EU) and EU Member State 
Regionalization Decisions for African Swine Fever (ASF) by Updating the 
APHIS List of Regions Affected With ASF

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added European Union (EU) 
and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU to the Animal and Plant 
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list of regions affected with African 
swine fever (ASF). Going forward we will recognize as affected with ASF 
any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has placed 
under restriction because of detection of ASF. These regions currently 
include portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and all of 
Sardinia. APHIS will list the EU- and EU Member State-defined regions 
as a single entity. We also removed Sardinia as an individually listed 
region from the APHIS list of ASF affected regions. We took these 
actions because of the detection of ASF in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, 
and Poland.

DATES: Effective Date: The addition of the EU- and EU Member State-
defined regions to the APHIS list of regions affected with ASF was 
effective August 31, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Link, Import Risk Analyst, 
Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services, 
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh, 
NC 27606; (919) 855-7731; [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 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 to prevent the introduction 
of various animal diseases, including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth 
disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, swine vesicular disease, 
classical swine fever, and African swine fever (ASF). The regulations 
prohibit or restrict the importation of live ruminants and swine, and 
products from these animals, from regions where these diseases are 
considered to exist.
    Sections 94.8 and 94.17 of the regulations contain requirements 
governing the importation into the United States of pork and pork 
products from regions of the world where ASF exists or is reasonably 
believed to exist. A list of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably 
believed to exist is maintained on the Animal and Plant Health 
Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animals_disease_status.shtml.
    In a notice published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2015 
(80 FR 52440-52441, Docket No. APHIS-2015-0011), we amended the list of 
regions where ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist by adding a 
new entry that reads ``Any restricted zone in the European Union (EU) 
established by the EU or any EU Member State because of detection of 
African swine fever in domestic or feral swine.'' We also removed 
Sardinia as an individually listed region because Sardinia is under ASF 
restrictions by the EU. These list changes were effective August 31, 
2015, and as a result of that action, the importation into the United 
States of pork and pork products from EU regions under restrictions for 
ASF became restricted.
    The notice also proposed that APHIS would recognize as affected 
with ASF any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has 
placed under restriction because of detection of ASF. Going forward, 
the APHIS-recognized ASF status of almost any region of the EU would 
follow the EU and EU Member State restrictions based on ASF detections; 
we would not list each affected region of the EU. The only exception 
would be Malta, which we currently recognize as affected with ASF, but 
which is not under ASF restrictions by the EU.
    Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before 
October 30, 2015. We received one comment, from a domestic pork 
industry association. The commenter did not object to the recognition 
of EU and EU Member State regionalization decisions for ASF in the EU. 
The commenter expressed concern that ASF continues to spread within the 
wild boar population, and concern that the potential exists for further 
spread. The commenter urged APHIS to remain extremely vigilant 
regarding actions by the European Commission (EC) and affected Member 
States to address ASF.
    APHIS agrees with the commenter that ASF continues to spread in 
wild boar, and that the potential exists for further spread. APHIS 
agrees with the commenter that we should remain extremely vigilant 
regarding actions taken by the EC and affected Member States to address 
ASF. APHIS will continue monitor the epidemiological situation. If the 
EU or an EU Member State significantly changes or entirely removes its 
ASF restrictions or otherwise significantly alters its regulatory 
framework for ASF, APHIS will conduct an evaluation to assess the 
impact of the changes on the risk of ASF introduction into the United 
States. APHIS will present for public comment the findings of any such 
evaluation.
    Because the EU- and EU Member State-defined ASF-affected regions 
include areas not currently on the APHIS list of ASF-affected regions, 
we added the new entry to our list effective August 31, 2015, to 
prevent the introduction of ASF into the United States. The list of 
ASF-affected regions can be found at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animals_disease_status.shtml. Copies of the list 
are also available via postal mail, fax, or email upon request to the 
Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services, 
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700 
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737.

    Authority:  7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317; 
21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.


[[Page 8896]]


    Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of February 2016.
 Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-03675 Filed 2-22-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-34-P