. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/475
26 July 2001
(01-3747)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Environmental Protection Agency - EPA
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable).
Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: Plant-
incorporated protectants
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Plant-Incorporated Protectants
(Formerly Plant-Pesticides), Supplemental Propos al; Notice of Data Availability (15 pages)
5. Description of content:   The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) solicits additional
comment on the exemptions it proposed in 1994 for plant-incorporated protectants.
Specifically, EPA solicits comment on two alternative regulatory approaches to
plant-incorporated protectants derived from plants sexually compatible with the recipient plant
that the Agency is considering in response to comments received on the 1994 proposal.  EPArequests comment on the issues raised by commenters in response to EPA's 1994 proposed
exemptions for plant-incorporated protectants derived from sexually compatible plants, as well
as on any new issues presented by the proposed regulatory alternatives.  The Agency is
requesting comment on whether a distinction made on the basis of process is appropriate.  EPA
is also providing notice that it has placed the report issued by the National Academy of
Sciences (NAS) entitled "Genetically Modified Plants:  Science and Regulation" in the dockets
for the rulemakings relating to certain proposals on plant-incorporated protectants under theFederal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodentic ide Act (FIFRA) and the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).  With this suppleme ntal document, EPA has reopened the comment
period for these particular 1994 proposals to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the
information, analyses, and conclusions in the NAS report pertaining to plant-incorporated
protectants that act primarily by affecting the plant or are based on viral coat proteins, as wellas on specific questions posed by the Agency.
6. Objective and rationale: [  X ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from other
damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [  X ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  66 FR 37855,
19 July 2001 (Available in English)G/SPS/N/USA/475
Page 2
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.
11. Final date for comments:  Comments must be received on or before 20 August 2001.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments: Environmental Protection Agency
[    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number
and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed instruction on where and how to
send comments is in the body of the full text - which will be sent upon request to the address in
paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
Attn:  Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C.20250Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov