. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/801
11 September 2003
(03-4753)
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:   Animal Plant Health Inspections Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Ruminants
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:
Trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:   Standards for Privately
Owned Quarantine Facilities for Ruminants, Volume 68, Number 167 (Available in English,
pages 51716-51734), www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor
6. Description of content:  APHIS is proposing to amend the regulations for the importation of
ruminants into the United States to estab lish standards for privately owned quarantine
facilities.  The regulations authorize the es tablishment of privately operated quarantine
facilities for ruminants, which are subject to approval and oversight by the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service.  However, the regu lations do not provide specific standards for the
approval, operation, and oversight of such facili ties, with the exception of privately operated
facilities for sheep or goats.  Based on recent in terest in establishing such facilities for cattle,
we are proposing standards for privately owned quarantine facilities covering all ruminants to
ensure public participation in their development and to ensure that any facilities that may be
approved for this purpose operated in a manner th at protects the health of the US livestock
population.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[  ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or di sease,  [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  English
10. Proposed date of adoption:   To be announced.
11. Proposed date of entry into force:   To be annouced.G/SPS/N/USA/801
Page 2
12. Final date for comments:  27 October 2003
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [ X ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Roseanne Freese
Acting United States SPS Enquiry Point Officer
Food Safety & Technical Services Division
USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service
Telephone:  202  690 1642
Fax:  202 720 7772
Email:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ]  National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Roseanne Freese
Acting United States SPS Enquiry Point Officer
Food Safety & Technical Services Division
USDA/Foreign Agricultural Service
Telephone:  202  690 1642Fax:  202 720 7772
Email:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov