[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 115 (Thursday, June 15, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 39219]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-12839]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 115 / Thursday, June 15, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 39219]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. APHIS-2022-0066]


Concurrence With World Organization for Animal Health's Risk 
Designation for Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy for France

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: We are advising the public of our preliminary concurrence with 
the World Organization for Animal Health's (WOAH) bovine spongiform 
encephalopathy (BSE) risk designation for France. The WOAH recognizes 
France as being of negligible risk for BSE. We are taking this action 
based on our review of information supporting the WOAH's risk 
designation for France.

DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or before 
August 14, 2023.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov. 
Enter APHIS-2022-0066 in the Search field. Select the Documents tab, 
then select the Comment button in the list of documents.
     Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to 
Docket No. APHIS-2022-0066, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, 
APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road, Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-
1238.
    Any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
regulations.gov or in our reading room, which is located in Room 1620 
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) 799-7039 before coming.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Rebecca Gordon, Senior Staff 
Officer, Regionalization Evaluation Services, Veterinary Services, 
APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855-7741; email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 92 subpart B, 
``Importation of Animals and Animal Products; Procedures for Requesting 
BSE Risk Status Classification With Regard To Bovines'' (referred to 
below as the regulations), set forth the process by which the Animal 
and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) classifies regions for 
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) risk. Section 92.5 of the 
regulations provides that all countries of the world are considered by 
APHIS to be in one of three BSE risk categories: Negligible risk, 
controlled risk, or undetermined risk. These risk categories are 
defined in Sec.  92.1. Any region that is not classified by APHIS as 
presenting either negligible risk or controlled risk for BSE is 
considered to present an undetermined risk. The list of those regions 
classified by APHIS as having either negligible risk or controlled risk 
can be accessed on the APHIS website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions. The list can also be 
obtained by writing to APHIS at Regionalization Evaluation Services, 
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 
20737-1238.
    Under the regulations, APHIS may classify a region for BSE in one 
of two ways. One way is for regions that have not received a risk 
classification from the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) to 
request classification by APHIS. The other way is for APHIS to concur 
with the classification given to a country or region by the WOAH.
    If the WOAH has classified a region as either BSE negligible risk 
or BSE controlled risk, APHIS will seek information to support 
concurrence with the WOAH classification. This information may be 
publicly available information, or APHIS may request that regions 
supply the same information given to the WOAH. APHIS will announce in 
the Federal Register, subject to public comment, its intent to concur 
with a WOAH classification.
    In accordance with this process, we are giving notice in this 
document that APHIS intends to concur with the WOAH risk classification 
of the country of France as a region of negligible risk for BSE.
    The WOAH recommendation regarding France can be viewed at https://www.woah.org/en/disease/bovine-spongiform-encephalopathy/. The 
conclusions of the WOAH Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, 
regarding France, can be viewed in the ``Report of the Meeting of the 
OIE Scientific Commission for Animal Diseases, Virtual, 7 to 23 
February 2022'' at https://doc.woah.org/dyn/portal/index.xhtml?page=alo&aloId=42407&espaceId=100 (page 81).
    After reviewing any comments that we receive, we will announce our 
final determination regarding the BSE classification of France in the 
Federal Register, along with a discussion of and response to pertinent 
issues raised by commenters. If APHIS recognizes France as negligible 
risk for BSE, the Agency will include this country on the list of 
regions of negligible risk for BSE that is available to the public on 
the Agency's website at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-and-animal-product-import-information/animal-health-status-of-regions.
    Authority: 7 U.S.C. 1622 and 8301-8317; 21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 
U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 9th day of June 2023.
Michael Watson,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2023-12839 Filed 6-14-23; 8:45 am]
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