. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/203
6 December 1999
(99-5382)
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, whereapplicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Pesticides
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document: Review of Environmental
Protection Agency Public Participation Policies  (8 pages)
5. ption of content: The EPA Administrator, in a July 1999 EPA report, entitled "Aiming for
Excellence - Actions to Encourage Stewardship and Accelerate Environmental Progress,
Report of the EPA Innovations Task Force" pledges the Agency to "Evaluate and update
EPA's public participation requirements. We will assess how well our regulations and
policies ensure public participation in decision making.  We will report on what we find anddevelop an action plan to upgrade requirements and fill gaps".  EPA has convened an
internal workgroup to conduct a review of EPA public participation regulations and policies
in accordance with this pledge.  The workgroup is scheduled to give a report to the
Administrator by 31 January 2000, which will co ntain an inventory of EPA regulations and
policies regarding public participation and an initial assessment of how well these
regulations and policies ensure public participation in decision making.  The report will also
contain an action plan to update requirements and fill gaps.
One of the primary policies being reviewed is the Final EPA Policy on Public Participation
(Federal Register/Vol. 46/no. 12/Monday, 19 January 1981), herein referred to as the 1981
Policy. The statements in the 1981 Policy have been the basis for many of EPA's public
participation requirements in the nineteen years since its initial publication.  The workgroupis seeking public comment on two issues at this time:
(1) What changes need to be made to the 1981 Policy on Public Participation?
(1a) What is working well, and how does the experience of the past nineteen years
suggest the need for improvements in th e general procedures for involving the
public in EPA programmes and decisions?
(2) How can we further engage the public in the effort to revise the 1981 Policy and
other EPA regulations and policies which may need to be updated in regard to
public participation?
(2a) What are the suggested elements of a strategy to further engage the public in
updating requirements and filling gaps in EPA's regulations and policiesconcerning public participation?G/SPS/N/USA/203
Page 2
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:  64 FR 66906,
30 November 1999 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.
11. Final date for comments:  30 December 1999. Comments received within the 30-day
period designated in this notice will be taken under consideration as the workgroup writes
the initial report to the Administrator in January 2000.  Comments received after the 30-day
period will be reviewed as the Agency further develops and implements an action plan to
update the 1981 policy and, as necessary, other regulations and policies.Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  [     ] National notification
authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  Environmental Protection Agency
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
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov