. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/296
28 June 2000
(00-2655)
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:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
- APHIS
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:  Seeds
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Accreditation Standards for
Laboratory Seed Health Testing and Seed Crop Field Inspection (6 pages)
5. Description of content:  APHIS is proposing to amend the export certification regulations to
provide specific standards under which non-government facilities could become accredited to
perform laboratory seed testing and seed crop field inspection services that could serve as the
basis for the issuance of a Federal phytosanitary certificate, export certificate for processed
plant products, or phytosanitary certificate for reexport. The accreditation standards for theselaboratory testing and field inspection services were developed to provide the basis for non-
government facilities to become accredited to perform the testing or inspection services that
may be used as supporting documentation for the issuance of certificates for certain plants or
plant products.
6. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [     ] animal health,  [  X ] 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 [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  APHIS is proposing this action in conformance to
North American Plant Protection Organizati on (NAPPO) standard "The Accreditation of
Laboratories for Phytosanitary Testing".  This is in accordance with Article 8 Paragraph 2 of
the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 38218,
20 June 2000 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/296
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  21 August 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service  [    ] 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 theaddress 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
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
Attn: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov