G/SPS/N/USA/2818  
 
21 January 2016  
(16-0441)  Page: 1/2  
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
  NOTIFICATION 
1. Notifying Member: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 
If applicable, name of local government involved:   
2. Agency responsible: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item  number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO; IC S numbers should be provided in 
addition, where applicable): Fresh apple and pear 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected , to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries: Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, 
Poland, Portugal, Spain  
5. Title of the notified document: Proposed Rule: Importation of Fresh Apple and Pear 
Fruit Into the Continental United States From Certain Countries in the European Union (Docket No. APHIS-2015-0073)  Language(s): English  Number of pages: 6 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docume ntDetail;D=APHIS _FRDOC_0001-1867  
6. Description of content: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is 
proposing to amend the regulations to allow the importation of fresh apple and pear fruit 
from certain countries in the European Union into the continental United States, provided that the fruit is produced in accordance with a systems approach, as an 
alternative to importation under the current preclearance program. The proposed 
systems approach for fresh apple and pear fruit consists of production site and packinghouse registration, inspection of registered production sites twice a season, 
production site pest control and sanitation, post-harvest safeguards, fruit culling, 
traceback, sampling, cold treatment against Mediterranean fruit fly in countries where the pest is known to occur, a phytosanitary certificate, port of entry inspection, and importation as commercial consignments only. Fresh apple and pear fruit that does not 
meet the requirements in the systems approach would continue to be allowed to be 
imported into the United States subject to the conditions of the preclearance program. This action would provide an alternative for the importation of fresh apple and pear fruit 
from certain countries in the European Union while continuing to provide protection 
against the introduction of plant pests into the continental United States. 
Federal Register/ Vol. 81, No.12, Wednesday, 20 January 2016, pgs. 3033-3038. 
7. 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.   G/SPS/N/USA/2818 
 
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  8. Is there a relevant international st andard? If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or serial  n u m b e r  o f  C o d e x  
standard or related text)   
[ ] World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) (e.g. Terrestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number)    
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. ISPM number)    
[X] None 
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?   
[ ] Yes   [ ] No 
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard:   
9. Other relevant documents and language (s) in which these are available:     
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
11. Proposed date of entry into force: [ ] Six months from date of publication , 
and/or  (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments: [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : 21 March 2016 
Agency or authority designated to hand le comments: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address 
(if available) of other body:  
You may submit comments by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to  
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0073 . 
Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to Docket No. APHIS-2015-0073, 
Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS, Station 3A-03.8, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. 
Supporting documents and any comments we receive on this docket may be viewed at 
http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2015-0073 . 
For further information contact Mr David B. Lamb, Senior Regulatory Policy Specialist, 
USDA/APHIS/PPQ, 4700 River Road Unit 133, Riverdale, MD 20737-1236; +(301) 851 
2103; E-mail: David.B.Lamb@aphis.usda.gov 
13. Text(s) available from: [X] National Notifi cation Authority, [ ] National Enquiry 
Point. Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   
United States SPS National Notification Auth ority, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, 
International Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1014, Washington D.C. 
20250; Tel: +(1 202) 720 1301; Fax: +(1 202) 720 0433; E-mail: 
us.spsenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov