. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/209
7 January 2000
(00-0074)
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:  Azinphos-Methyl; Proposed
Revocation and Lowering of Certain Tolerances; Tolerance Actions (5 pages)
5. Description of content:  EPA proposes to revise the tolerances for azinphos-methyl by
revoking certain tolerances and modifying certain other tolerances for residues of the
insecticide azinphos-methyl (40 CFR 180.154). This proposed revision is in compliance
with a Memorandum of Understanding betw een the EPA and registrants of azinphos-
methyl. The regulatory actions proposed in this document are part of the Agency'sreregistration program under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
(FIFRA), and the tolerance reassessment requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and
Cosmetic Act (FFDCA).
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 [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  Codex MRLs exist for the following tolerances
proposed for revocation in this document, i.e. apricot at 2.0 ppm, cereal grains at 0.2 ppm,
kiwifruit at 4.0 ppm, and soy bean at 0.2 ppm. Notwithstanding the existence of these
MRLs, EPA is proposing to revoke the tolerances because retention would increase the
chances of misuse and may result in unnecessary restriction on trade of pesticides and foods
as well as inhibiting the retention and approval of tolerances, as discussed in greater detail
in the full text of the proposal document.
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  64 FR 71708,
22 December 1999 (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/209
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  22 February 2000
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 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