. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/449
6 June 2001
(01-2775)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
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).  Certain animals, meat and other animal products   Regions or countries likely
to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  France, Ireland and The Netherlands
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Change in Disease Status of
France, Ireland, and The Netherlands Beca use of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (4 pages)
5. Description of content:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA is amending
the regulations governing the importation of certain animals, meat, and other animal
products by removing France, Ireland, and The Netherlands from the list of regions
considered to be free of rinderpest and foot-and-mouth disease.  We recently removed GreatBritain and Northern Ireland from the list of  regions considered free of rinderpest and
foot-and-mouth disease because of the conf irmed outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in
those regions.  The outbreak in the United Kingdom has since spread elsewhere in the
European Union.  We are taking this additional action with respect to France, Ireland, and
The Netherlands because the existence of foot-and-mouth disease has been confirmed there
and these member States do not yet meet the Office International des Epizooties criterion
for freedom of foot-and-mouth disease (i.e. a 3-month waiting period after the last case in aregion previously recognized as free of the disease).  The effect of this action is to prohibit
or restrict the importation of any ruminant or swine and any fresh (chilled or frozen) meat
and other products of ruminants or swine into the United States from France, Ireland, and
The Netherlands.
6. Objective and rationale:  [     ] food safety,  [  X ] animal health,  [     ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [     ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. Nature of the urgent problem(s):  This rulemaking is necessary on an emergency basis to
update the disease status of France, Ireland and The Netherlands because of foot-and-mouthdisease.
8. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [     ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give its appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  APHIS is taking this action in accordance with
Chapter 2.1.1 of the Office International de s Epizooties (OIE) Animal Health Code.G/SPS/N/USA/449
Page 2
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available  66 FR 29686,
1 June 2001 (Available in English)
10. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):  This interim rule was
effective on 19 February 2001.  We invite you to comment. APHIS will consider all
comments that we receive by 31 July 2001.
11. Texts available from/and agency or authority designated to handle comments:  The full
text of this notification, including instructions for commenting, are available from the
address below.  [ 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
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov