WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/SPS/N/USA/2173 
8 March 2011  
 (11-1167) 
Committee on Sanitary a nd Phytosanitary Measures Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
1. Notifying Member:  UNITED STATES
 
If applicable, name of local government involved:    
2. Agency responsible:  Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA 
3. Products covered (provide tariff item numbe r(s) as specified in national schedules 
deposited with the WTO;  ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where 
applicable):  Meat (beef, sheep, goat) 
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable: 
[ ] All trading partners   
[X] Specific regions or countries:  Australia  
5. Title of the notified document:  Australia's Meat Safety Enhancement Program; Notice of 
Affirmation of Equivalence Deci sion (Docket No. FSIS-2009-0020]  Language(s):  
English  Number of pages:  4 
6. Description of content:  The Food Safety and Inspection Se rvice (FSIS) is affirming its 
1999 decision that Australia's Meat Safety E nhancement Program (MSEP), an alternative to 
the conventional meat inspection system also  maintained by the Australian Government 
food regulatory authority [Australia Quaran tine and Inspection Service (AQIS)], is 
equivalent to the FSIS domestic meat inspection system.  MSEP has been renamed the Australian Export Meat Inspection System (AEM IS), but the system itself will remain the 
same as that determined to be equivale nt by FSIS in 1999 when FSIS announced that 
slaughter inspection in MSEP establishments meets all requirements of US law for the 
import of product to the United States, and pr ovides the same level of public health 
protection as US domestic slaughter inspection.  In this notice, MSEP is used for events 
that occurred under that name, MSEP/AEMIS for unchanging features of the program, and AEMIS for current and projected activities.  In  January 2011, Australia informed FSIS that 
AEMIS will be progressively implemented in all Australian beef, sheep, and goat 
establishments eligible to export to the United States. 
7. 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.    G/SPS/N/USA/2173 
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  8. Is there a relevant international stan dard?  If so, identify the standard:  
[ ] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g.  title or serial number of Codex 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:  This 
comprehensive process is described fully on the US Government website at 
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2011/2011-4902.htm  
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) :    
[X] Trade facilitating measure   
12. Final date for comments:  [ ] Sixty days from the date of circulation of the notification 
and/or (dd/mm/yy) :  The Agency must receive comments by 4 April 2011. 
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  Address, fax number and e-mail address (if 
available) of other body:   
Comments may be submitted by either of the following methods: 
Federal eRulemaking Portal:  This Web site  provides the ability to type short comments 
directly into the comment field on this Web page or attach a file for lengthier comments.  Go to http://www.regulations.gov
.  Follow the online instructions at that site for submitting 
comments. 
Mail, including floppy disks or CD-ROMs, and hand- or courier-delivered items:  Send to 
Docket Clerk, USDA, FSIS, Room 2-2127 George Washington Carver Center, 5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Mailstop 5 272, Beltsville, MD 20705-5272. 
Instructions:  All items submitted by mail or electronic mail must include the Agency name 
and docket number FSIS-2009-0020.  Comments recei ved in response to this docket will be 
made available for public inspection and post ed without change, including any personal 
information, to http://www.regulations.gov
. 
Docket: All comments submitted in response to this notice, as well as research and 
background information used by FSIS in develo ping this document, will be available for 
public inspection in the FSIS Docket Room at  the address listed above between 8 a.m. and 
4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.  G/SPS/N/USA/2173 
 Page 3 
 
 
  13. Texts available from:  [X] National Notification Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point.  
Address, fax number and e-mail address (if available) of other body:   United States 
SPS National Notification Authority, USDA Fore ign Agricultural Service, International 
Regulations and Standards Division (IRSD), Stop 1027, Washington D.C. 20250;  Tel:  +(1 202) 720 1301;  Fax:  +(1 202) 720 0433;  E-mail:  us.s psenquirypoint@fas.usda.gov