65166 Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2011 / Notices 

For importers of plants for planting, 

this approach may increase or decrease 

inspection time at the plant inspection 

station, depending on the risk level of 

the material. We believe this new 

sampling and inspection approach will 

result in increased effectiveness and 

that the difference in inspection time 

will be an incentive for importers to 

present high-quality, pest-free plants for 

planting for inspection at plant 

inspection stations. 

We plan to implement the PMRP on 

October 17, 2011. The risk-based 

sampling will be implemented 

following further analysis of the 

sampling protocol. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of 

October 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–27173 Filed 10–19–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2011–0091] 

International Sanitary and 

Phytosanitary Standard-Setting 

Activities 

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service, USDA. 

ACTION: Notice and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with legislation 

implementing the results of the Uruguay 

Round of negotiations under the General 

Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, we are 

informing the public of the international 

standard-setting activities of the World 

Organization for Animal Health, the 

Secretariat of the International Plant 

Protection Convention, and the North 

American Plant Protection Organization, 

and we are soliciting public comment 

on the standards to be considered. 

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments 

by either of the following methods: 

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to 

http://www.regulations.gov/ 

#!documentDetail;D=APHIS-2011-0091- 

0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2011–0091, 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-2011-0091 or 

in our reading room, which is located in 

room 1141 of the USDA South Building, 

14th Street and Independence Avenue, 

SW., Washington, DC. Normal reading 

room hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., 

Monday through Friday, except 

holidays. To be sure someone is there to 

help you, please call (202) 690–2817 

before coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

general information on the topics 

covered in this notice, contact Mr. John 

Greifer, Associate Deputy Administrator 

for SPS Management, International 

Services, APHIS, room 1132, USDA 

South Building, 14th Street and 

Independence Avenue, SW., 

Washington, DC 20250; (202) 720–7677. 

For specific information regarding 

standard-setting activities of the World 

Organization for Animal Health, contact 

Dr. Michael David, Director, 

International Animal Health Standards 

Team, National Center for Import and 

Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road, 

Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; 

(301) 734–5324. 

For specific information regarding the 

standard-setting activities of the 

International Plant Protection 

Convention or the North American Plant 

Protection Organization, contact Ms. 

Julie E. Aliaga, Program Director, 

International Phytosanitary Standards, 

PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road, Unit 140, 

Riverdale, MD 20737–1236; (301) 734– 

0763. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

The World Trade Organization (WTO) 

was established as the common 

international institutional framework for 

governing trade relations among its 

members in matters related to the 

Uruguay Round Agreements. The WTO 

is the successor organization to the 

General Agreement on Tariffs and 

Trade. U.S. membership in the WTO 

was approved by Congress when it 

enacted the Uruguay Round Agreements 

Act (Pub. L. 103–465), which was 

signed into law on December 8, 1994. 

The WTO Agreements, which 

established the WTO, entered into force 

with respect to the United States on 

January 1, 1995. The Uruguay Round 

Agreements Act amended Title IV of the 

Trade Agreements Act of 1979 (19 

U.S.C. 2531 et seq.). Section 491 of the 

Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as 

amended (19 U.S.C. 2578), requires the 

President to designate an agency to be 

responsible for informing the public of 

the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) 

standard-setting activities of each 

international standard-setting 

organization. The designated agency 

must inform the public by publishing an 

annual notice in the Federal Register 

that provides the following information: 

(1) The SPS standards under 

consideration or planned for 

consideration by the international 

standard-setting organization; and (2) 

for each SPS standard specified, a 

description of the consideration or 

planned consideration of that standard, 

a statement of whether the United States 

is participating or plans to participate in 

the consideration of that standard, the 

agenda for U.S. participation, if any, and 

the agency responsible for representing 

the United States with respect to that 

standard. 

‘‘International standard’’ is defined in 

19 U.S.C. 2578b as any standard, 

guideline, or recommendation: (1) 

Adopted by the Codex Alimentarius 

Commission (Codex) regarding food 

safety; (2) developed under the auspices 

of the World Organization for Animal 

Health (OIE, formerly known as the 

Office International des Epizooties) 

regarding animal health and welfare, 

and zoonoses; (3) developed under the 

auspices of the Secretariat of the 

International Plant Protection 

Convention (IPPC) in cooperation with 

the North American Plant Protection 

Organization (NAPPO) regarding plant 

health; or (4) established by or 

developed under any other international 

organization agreed to by the member 

countries of the North American Free 

Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or the 

member countries of the WTO. 

The President, pursuant to 

Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23, 

1995 (60 FR 15845), designated the 

Secretary of Agriculture as the official 

responsible for informing the public of 

the SPS standard-setting activities of 

Codex, OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO. The 

United States Department of 

Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Food Safety and 

Inspection Service (FSIS) informs the 

public of Codex standard-setting 

activities, and USDA’s Animal and 

Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) 

informs the public of OIE, IPPC, and 

NAPPO standard-setting activities. 

FSIS publishes an annual notice in 

the Federal Register to inform the 

public of SPS standard-setting activities 

for Codex. Codex was created in 1962 by 

two United Nations organizations, the 

Food and Agriculture Organization 

(FAO) and the World Health 

Organization. It is the major 

international organization for 

encouraging international trade in food 

and protecting the health and economic 

interests of consumers. 


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APHIS is responsible for publishing 

an annual notice of OIE, IPPC, and 

NAPPO activities related to 

international standards for plant and 

animal health and representing the 

United States with respect to these 

standards. Following are descriptions of 

the OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO 

organizations and the standard-setting 

agenda for each of these organizations. 

We have described the agenda that each 

of these organizations will address at 

their annual general sessions, including 

standards that may be presented for 

adoption or consideration, as well as 

other initiatives that may be underway 

at the OIE, IPPC, and NAPPO. 

The agendas for these meetings are 

subject to change, and the draft 

standards identified in this notice may 

not be sufficiently developed and ready 

for adoption as indicated. Also, while it 

is the intent of the United States to 

support adoption of international 

standards and to participate actively 

and fully in their development, it 

should be recognized that the U.S. 

position on a specific draft standard will 

depend on the acceptability of the final 

draft. Given the dynamic and interactive 

nature of the standard-setting process, 

we encourage any persons who are 

interested in the most current details 

about a specific draft standard or the 

U.S. position on a particular standardsetting issue, or in providing comments 

on a specific standard that may be under 

development, to contact APHIS. Contact 

information is provided at the beginning 

of this notice under FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT. 

OIE Standard-Setting Activities 

The OIE was established in Paris, 

France, in 1924 with the signing of an 

international agreement by 28 countries. 

It is currently composed of 178 

Members, each of which is represented 

by a delegate who, in most cases, is the 

chief veterinary officer of that country 

or territory. The WTO has recognized 

the OIE as the international forum for 

setting animal health and welfare 

standards, reporting global animal 

disease events, and presenting 

guidelines and recommendations on 

sanitary measures relating to animal 

health. 

The OIE facilitates intergovernmental 

cooperation to prevent the spread of 

contagious diseases in animals by 

sharing scientific research among its 

Members. The major functions of the 

OIE are to collect and disseminate 

information on the distribution and 

occurrence of animal diseases and to 

ensure that science-based standards 

govern international trade in animals 

and animal products. The OIE aims to 

achieve these through the development 

and revision of international standards 

for diagnostic tests, vaccines, and the 

safe international trade of animals and 

animal products. 

The OIE provides annual reports on 

the global distribution of animal 

diseases, recognizes the free status of 

Members for certain diseases, 

categorizes animal diseases with respect 

to their international significance, 

publishes bulletins on global disease 

status, and provides animal disease 

control guidelines to Members. Various 

OIE commissions and working groups 

undertake the development and 

preparation of draft standards, which 

are then circulated to Members for 

consultation (review and comment). 

Draft standards are revised accordingly 

and are then presented to the OIE World 

Assembly of Delegates (all the Members) 

during the General Session, which 

meets annually every May, for review 

and adoption. Adoption, as a general 

rule, is based on consensus of the OIE 

membership. 

The next OIE General Session is 

scheduled for May 20–25, 2012, in 

Paris, France. Currently, the Deputy 

Administrator for APHIS’ Veterinary 

Services program is the official U.S. 

Delegate to the OIE. The Deputy 

Administrator for APHIS’ Veterinary 

Services program intends to participate 

in the proceedings and will discuss or 

comment on APHIS’ position on any 

standard up for adoption. Information 

about OIE draft Terrestrial and Aquatic 

Animal Health Code chapters may be 

found on the Internet at http:// 

www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/ 

animals/oie/ or by contacting Dr. 

Michael David (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT above). 

OIE Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal 

Health Code Chapters and Appendices 

Adopted by the May 2011 General 

Session 

Over 50 Code chapters were amended, 

rewritten, or newly proposed and 

presented for adoption at the General 

Session. The following Code chapters 

are of particular interest to the United 

States: 

1. Glossary 

Several Code chapter definitions were 

modified, rewritten, or deleted. 

Modified or rewritten definitions 

include the definitions for ‘‘euthanasia,’’ 

‘‘veterinary legislation,’’ and ‘‘wildlife’’. 

2. Chapter 1.1, Notification of Diseases 

and Epidemiological Information 

The change in the text of this chapter 

helps to clarify the reporting 

responsibilities of a Member with 

respect to a given notifiable disease. 

3. Chapter 6.4, Biosecurity Procedures 

in Poultry Production 

The text in this chapter was modified 

for clarity and completeness in content. 

4. Chapter 6.5, Zoning and 

Compartmentalization, and Chapter 4.4, 

Application of Compartmentalization 

The text in these chapters was 

modified for clarity in content. No 

substantive changes were made to these 

chapters. 

5. Chapter 6.5, Prevention, Detection 

and Control of Salmonella in Poultry 

The terms ‘‘farm’’ and 

‘‘establishment’’ were removed and 

replaced with ‘‘flock.’’ 

6. Chapter 8.1, Anthrax 

The changes in the text of this chapter 

included the procedures for inactivation 

of B. anthracis spores in animal 

products. 

7. Chapter 8.2, Aujeszky’s Disease 

The text in this chapter was modified 

to make it consistent with the structure 

of other chapters, update the definition 

of the disease and clarify what is meant 

by affected populations. 

8. Chapter 8.5, Foot and Mouth Disease 

(FMD) 

The text in this chapter was modified 

to allow for the option of OIE 

endorsement of a Member’s official 

FMD control or eradication program. 

9. Chapter 8.15, Vesicular Stomatitis 

A list of safe commodities that can be 

traded regardless of a country’s 

vesicular stomatitis status was 

incorporated into the chapter. 

10. Chapter 10.4, Avian Influenza 

Minor changes were made to this 

chapter to improve clarity. 

11. Chapter 10.13, Newcastle Disease 

The text in this chapter was modified 

to revise the time-temperature 

parameters for inactivation of Newcastle 

disease virus in poultry meat. 

12. Chapter 12.6, Equine Influenza 

The text in this chapter was modified 

for clarity. 

The following Aquatic Code chapters 

are of particular interest to the United 

States: 

1. Manual Chapter 2.1.1., 

Batrachochytrium Dendrobatidis 

This is a new chapter proposed for 

adoption in 2011. 


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2. Chapter 6.3., Principles for 

Responsible and Prudent use of AntiMicrobia Agents in Aquatic Animals 

Minor changes were made to this 

chapter to improve clarity. 

3. Chapter 8.2., Infection With 

Ranavirus 

Conditions are defined to allow 

unrestricted international trade in 

untested animal products from 

countries, zones or compartments not 

declared free of Ranavirus. 

OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 

Chapters and Appendices for Future 

Review 

Existing Terrestrial Animal Health 

Code chapters that may be further 

revised and new chapters that may be 

drafted in preparation for the next 

General Session in 2012 include the 

following: 

• Chapter 1.2, Criteria for listing 

diseases. 

• Chapter 6.5, Prevention, Detection 

and Control of Salmonella in Poultry. 

• Chapter 8.6, Aujesky’s disease. 

• Chapter 8.10, Rabies. 

• Chapter 8.12, Rinderpest. 

• Chapter 11.3, Bovine brucellosis. 

• Chapter 12.1, African horse 

sickness. 

• Chapter 15.2, Classical swine fever. 

• Chapter 15.4, Swine Vesicular 

Disease. 

• Chapter X.X.X, Animal Welfare and 

Broiler Chicken Production. (This 

proposed chapter that focuses on 

establishing standard commercial 

poultry production practices was not 

adopted to allow for further Member 

consultations.) 

• Chapter X.X.X. Animal Welfare and 

Beef Production. (This will be a new 

proposed chapter on standard practices 

for commercial beef production.) 

OIE Terrestrial Animal Health 

Standards Commission Future Work 

Program 

During the next few years, the OIE 

Terrestrial Animal Commission may 

address the following issues or establish 

ad hoc groups of experts to update or 

develop standards for the following 

issues: 

• Diseases of Honey Bees and 

Hygiene and disease security 

procedures in apiaries. 

• Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease. 

IPPC Standard-Setting Activities 

The IPPC is a multilateral convention 

adopted in 1952 for the purpose of 

securing common and effective action to 

prevent the spread and introduction of 

pests of plants and plant products and 

to promote appropriate measures for 

their control. Under the IPPC, the 

understanding of plant protection has 

been, and continues to be, broad, 

encompassing the protection of both 

cultivated and noncultivated plants 

from direct or indirect injury by plant 

pests. Activities addressed by the IPPC 

include the development and 

establishment of international plant 

health standards, the harmonization of 

phytosanitary activities through 

emerging standards, the facilitation of 

the exchange of official and scientific 

information among countries, and the 

furnishing of technical assistance to 

developing countries that are signatories 

to the IPPC. 

The IPPC is under the authority of the 

Food and Agriculture Organization 

(FAO), and the members of the 

Secretariat of the IPPC are appointed by 

the FAO. The IPPC is implemented by 

national plant protection organizations 

(NPPOs) in cooperation with regional 

plant protection organizations (RPPOs); 

the Commission on Phytosanitary 

Measures (CPM, formerly referred to as 

the International Commission on 

Phytosanitary Measures); and the 

Secretariat of the IPPC. The United 

States plays a major role in all standardsetting activities under the IPPC and has 

representation on FAO’s highest 

governing body, the FAO Conference. 

The United States became a 

contracting party to the IPPC in 1972 

and has been actively involved in 

furthering the work of the IPPC ever 

since. The IPPC was amended in 1979, 

and the amended version entered into 

force in 1991 after two-thirds of the 

contracting countries accepted the 

amendment. More recently, in 1997, 

contracting parties completed 

negotiations on further amendments 

that were approved by the FAO 

Conference and submitted to the parties 

for acceptance. This 1997 amendment 

updated phytosanitary concepts and 

formalized the standard-setting 

structure within the IPPC. The 1997 

amended version of the IPPC entered 

into force after two-thirds of the 

contracting parties notified the Director 

General of FAO of their acceptance of 

the amendment in October 2005. The 

U.S. Senate gave its advice and consent 

to acceptance of the newly revised IPPC 

on October 18, 2000. The President 

submitted the official letter of 

acceptance to the FAO Director General 

on October 4, 2001. 

The IPPC has been, and continues to 

be, administered at the national level by 

plant quarantine officials whose 

primary objective is to safeguard plant 

resources from injurious pests. In the 

United States, the national plant 

protection organization is APHIS’ Plant 

Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) 

program. The steps for developing a 

standard under the IPPC are described 

below. 

Step 1: Proposals for a new 

international standard for phytosanitary 

measures (ISPM) or for the review or 

revision of an existing ISPM are 

submitted to the Secretariat of the IPPC 

in a standardized format on a 2-year 

cycle. Alternatively, the Secretariat can 

propose a new standard or amendments 

to existing standards. 

Step 2: After review by the Standards 

Committee and the Strategic Planning 

and Technical Assistance Working 

Group, a summary of proposals is 

submitted by the Secretariat to the CPM. 

The CPM identifies the topics and 

priorities for standard setting from 

among the proposals submitted to the 

Secretariat and others that may be raised 

by the CPM. 

Step 3: Specifications for the 

standards identified as priorities by the 

CPM are drafted by the Standards 

Committee. The draft specifications are 

subsequently made available to 

members and RPPOs for comment (60 

days). Comments are submitted in 

writing to the Secretariat. Taking into 

account the comments, the Standards 

Committee finalizes the specifications. 

Step 4: The standard is drafted or 

revised in accordance with the 

specifications by a working group 

designated by the Standards Committee. 

The resulting draft standard is 

submitted to the Standards Committee 

for review. 

Step 5: Draft standards approved by 

the Standards Committee are distributed 

to members by the Secretariat and 

RPPOs for consultation (100 days). 

Comments are submitted in writing to 

the Secretariat. Where appropriate, the 

Standards Committee may establish 

open-ended discussion groups as 

forums for further comment. The 

Secretariat summarizes the comments 

and submits them to the Standards 

Committee. 

Step 6: Taking into account the 

comments, the Secretariat, in 

cooperation with the Standards 

Committee, revises the draft standard. 

The Standards Committee submits the 

final version to the CPM for adoption. 

Step 7: The ISPM is established 

through formal adoption by the CPM 

according to Rule X of the Rules of 

Procedure of the CPM. 

Step 8: Review of the ISPM is 

completed by the specified date or such 

other date as may be agreed upon by the 

CPM. 

Each member country is represented 

on the CPM by a single delegate. 

Although experts and advisors may 


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accompany the delegate to meetings of 

the CPM, only the delegate (or an 

authorized alternate) may represent 

each member country in considering a 

standard up for approval. Parties 

involved in a vote by the CPM are to 

make every effort to reach agreement on 

all matters by consensus. Only after all 

efforts to reach a consensus have been 

exhausted may a decision on a standard 

be passed by a vote of two-thirds of 

delegates present and voting. 

Technical experts from the United 

States have participated directly in 

working groups and indirectly as 

reviewers of all IPPC draft standards. 

The United States also has a 

representative on the Standards 

Committee. In addition, documents and 

positions developed by APHIS and 

NAPPO have been sources of significant 

input for many of the standards adopted 

to date. This notice describes each of the 

IPPC standards currently under 

consideration or up for adoption. The 

full text of each standard will be 

available on the Internet at http:// 

www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/ 

plants/plant_exports/ 

phyto_international_standards.shtml. 

Interested individuals may review the 

standards posted on this Web site and 

submit comments via the Web site. 

The next CPM meeting is scheduled 

for March 26–30, 2012, at FAO 

Headquarters in Rome, Italy. The 

Deputy Administrator for APHIS’ PPQ 

program is the U.S. delegate to the CPM. 

The Deputy Administrator intends to 

participate in the proceedings and will 

discuss or comment on APHIS’ position 

on any standards up for adoption. The 

agenda for the Fifth Session of the 

Commission of Phytosanitary Measures 

is as follows: 

1. Opening of the session. 

2. Adoption of the agenda. 

3. Election of the Rapporteur. 

4. Report by the CPM chairperson. 

5. Report by the Secretariat. 

6. Report of the technical consultation 

among RPPOs. 

7. Report of observer organizations. 

8. Goal 1: A robust international 

standard-setting and implementation 

program. 

9. Goal 2: Information exchange 

systems appropriate to meet IPPC 

obligations. 

10. Goal 3: Effective dispute 

settlement systems. 

11. Goal 4: Improved phytosanitary 

capacity of members. 

12. Goal 5: Sustainable 

implementation of the IPPC. 

13. Goal 6: International promotion of 

the IPPC and cooperation with relevant 

regional and international organizations. 

14. Goal 7: Review of the status of 

plant protection in the world. 

15. Election of the Bureau. 

16. Membership of CPM subsidiary 

bodies. 

17. Calendar. 

18. Other business. 

19. Date and venue of the next 

meeting. 

20. Adoption of the report. 

It is expected that the following 

standards will be sufficiently developed 

to be considered by the CPM for 

adoption at its 2012 meeting. The 

United States, represented by the 

Deputy Administrator for APHIS’ PPQ 

program, will participate in 

consideration of these standards. The 

U.S. position on each of these issues 

will be developed prior to the CPM 

session and will be based on APHIS’ 

analysis, information from other U.S. 

Government agencies, and relevant 

scientific information from interested 

stakeholders. 

1. Integrated measures for plants for 

planting in international trade. This 

standard outlines the main criteria for 

the identification and application of 

integrated measures for the production 

and international movement of plants 

for planting (excluding seeds) as a 

pathway. It provides guidance to help 

identify and manage pest risks 

associated with plants for planting. 

2. Systems approach for pest risk 

management of fruit flies (Diptera: 

Tephritidae). This standard provides 

guidelines for the development, 

implementation, and verification of 

integrated measures in a systems 

approach for pest risk management of 

fruit flies (Tephritidae) of economic 

importance. 

New Standard-Setting Initiatives, 

Including Those in Development 

A number of expert working group 

meetings or other technical 

consultations will take place during 

2011 and 2012 on the topics listed 

below. These standard-setting initiatives 

are under development and may be 

considered for future adoption. APHIS 

intends to participate actively and fully 

in each of these working groups. The 

U.S. position on each of the topics to be 

addressed by these various working 

groups will be developed prior to these 

working group meetings and will be 

based on APHIS’ technical analysis, 

information from other U.S. 

Government agencies, and relevant 

scientific information from interested 

stakeholders. 

1. Establishment and maintenance of 

fruit fly quarantine areas within pest 

free areas in the event of an outbreak 

detection. This draft is proposed as an 

Annex to ISPM 26, Establishment of 

pest free areas for fruit flies 

(Tephritidae). It will provide guidance 

on the establishment and maintenance 

of regulated areas within pest free areas 

(PFA) when fruit fly outbreaks are 

detected. It will provide guidance on 

phytosanitary measures which are 

intended to protect other production 

areas and, as far as possible, will allow 

for the continuation of fruit and 

vegetables production, movement and 

handling, treatment, and shipping when 

some or all of the components of the 

export process are located in the 

regulated areas within the PFA. 

2. Minimizing pest movement by sea 

containers and conveyances in 

international trade. The standard will 

provide guidance to NPPOs as to 

identifying particular pest risks 

associated with shipping containers as 

pathways in sea and overland transport 

between countries; identifying 

appropriate phytosanitary measures to 

mitigate such risks, in particular prior to 

export, including procedures for 

packing and cleaning of the interior and 

exterior of shipping containers, as well 

as inspection and measures related to 

the area surrounding packing, storage 

and loading locations; and identifying 

verification procedures. The purpose of 

this standard is to minimize the risk of 

quarantine pests moved as contaminants 

with shipping containers, irrespective of 

the cargo carried. The standard should 

provide guidance as to how appropriate 

pest risk management can be achieved 

with minimum impediment to efficient 

movement and management of shipping 

containers. 

For more detailed information on the 

above topics, which will be addressed 

by various working groups established 

by the CPM, contact Ms. Julie E. Aliaga 

(see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

above). 

APHIS posts draft standards on the 

Internet (http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

import_export/plants/plant_exports/ 

phyto_international_standards.shtml) as 

they become available and provides 

information on the due dates for 

comments. Additional information on 

IPPC standards is available on the IPPC 

Web site at http://www.ippc.int/IPP/En/ 

default.htm. For the most current 

information on official U.S. 

participation in IPPC activities, 

including U.S. positions on standards 

being considered, contact Ms. Julie E. 

Aliaga (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

CONTACT above). Those wishing to 

provide comments on any of the areas 

of work being undertaken by the IPPC 

may do so at any time by responding to 

this notice (see ADDRESSES above) or by 

providing comments through Ms. 

Aliaga. 


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NAPPO Standard-Setting Activities 

NAPPO, a regional plant protection 

organization created in 1976 under the 

IPPC, coordinates the efforts among 

Canada, the United States, and Mexico 

to protect their plant resources from the 

entry, establishment, and spread of 

harmful plant pests, while facilitating 

intra- and inter-regional trade. NAPPO 

conducts its business through panels 

and annual meetings held among the 

three member countries. The NAPPO 

Executive Committee charges individual 

panels with the responsibility for 

drawing up proposals for NAPPO 

positions, policies, and standards. These 

panels are made up of representatives 

from each member country who have 

scientific expertise related to the policy 

or standard being considered. Proposals 

drawn up by the individual panels are 

circulated for review to Government and 

industry officials in Canada, the United 

States, and Mexico, who may suggest 

revisions. In the United States, draft 

standards are circulated to industry, 

States, and various government agencies 

for consideration and comment. The 

draft standards are posted on the 

Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ 

import_export/plants/plant_exports/ 

phyto_international_standards.shtml. 

Once revisions are made, the proposal is 

sent to the NAPPO Working Group and 

the NAPPO Standards Panel for 

technical reviews, and then to the 

Executive Committee for final approval, 

which is granted by consensus. 

The annual NAPPO meeting is 

scheduled for October 17 to 21, 2011, in 

Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. The NAPPO 

Executive Committee meeting will take 

place on October 17, 2011. The 

Associate Deputy Administrator for PPQ 

is a member of the NAPPO Executive 

Committee. The Associate Deputy 

Administrator intends to participate in 

the proceedings and will discuss or 

comment on APHIS’ position on any 

standard up for adoption or any 

proposals to develop new standards. 

Below is a summary of current panel 

assignments as they relate to the 

ongoing development of NAPPO 

standards. The United States (i.e., 

USDA/APHIS) intends to participate 

actively and fully in the work of each of 

these panels. The U.S. position on each 

topic will be guided and informed by 

the best scientific information available 

on each of these topics. For each of the 

following panels, the United States will 

consider its position on any draft 

standard after it reviews a prepared 

draft. Information regarding the 

following NAPPO panel topics, 

assignments, activities, and updates on 

meeting times and locations may be 

obtained from the NAPPO homepage at 

http://www.nappo.org or by contacting 

Ms. Julie E. Aliaga (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT above). 

1. Accreditation Panel 

The panel will perform an in-depth 

audit of the Mexican NPPO’s adherence 

to Regional Standard for Phytosanitary 

Measures (RSPM) 9, ‘‘Authorization of 

laboratories for phytosanitary testing’’ 

and review the audit training program 

with a view to establish a harmonized 

approach for NAPPO countries. 

2. Biological Control Panel 

The panel will investigate possible 

biological control strategies for the 

Emerald Ash Borer; review the draft 

regional standard on ‘‘Guidelines for 

shipment of biological control agents 

among NAPPO countries’’ and, in 

collaboration with the Pest Risk 

Analysis panel, will assess the risks 

associated with the importation of bee 

pollen and royal jelly diverted for use in 

pollination and recommend 

management measures. 

3. Citrus Panel 

The panel will conclude sampling 

procedures for citrus propagative 

material for the detection of 

Huanglongbing (HLB) as part of the 

diagnostic procedure and organize a 

second international workshop on citrus 

quarantine pests. Subjects to be covered 

would include: HLB, citrus black spot, 

citrus leprosis, citrus canker, and citrus 

variegated chlorosis. 

4. Electronic Phytosanitary Certification 

Panel 

The panel will participate in the 

international development of electronic 

certification towards a functioning 

regional and global e-certification 

capability; finalize the review of the 

United Nations Centre for Trade 

Facilitation and Electronic Business 

(UN/CEFACT) data mapping, preparing 

data mapping for phytosanitary 

certificates; and consolidate previously 

developed documents into an ecertification technical guide to be 

further discussed with members of the 

international e-certification working 

groups. 

5. Forestry Panel 

The panel will work on completing 

the drafting of a standard for regulating 

the movement of wooden articles 

intended for indoor and outdoor use; 

complete the drafting of a standard on 

the movement of Christmas trees within 

the NAPPO region; deliver a workshop 

related to the import and export of 

Christmas trees within and from the 

NAPPO region; review and comment on 

forest-related international standards 

being developed by the IPPC, in 

particular a proposed standard on the 

international movement of wood. The 

panel will prepare a discussion paper 

reviewing the applicability of current 

standards for heat treatment of wood 

and wood packaging in relation to 

emerging information that certain insect 

species appear to be thermo-tolerant. 

6. Fruit Panel 

The panel will develop a strategy to 

mitigate the risk of introduction of 

Lobesia botrana into NAPPO countries, 

including measures to deal with a 

possible outbreak; determine 

appropriate phytosanitary measures 

against Drosophila suzukii for trade in 

products which are hosts; complete 

RSPM 34, ‘‘Guidelines to develop and 

apply phytosanitary protocol treatments 

for arthropod pests for fruits and 

vegetables,’’ and complete the technical 

advisory group documents on 

Rhagoletis and Tetranychus trapping. 

7. Grains Panel 

The panel will contribute to the 

organization (agenda and speakers) of 

the IPPC workshop on the international 

movement of grain, to be held in Canada 

in late 2011. 

8. Invasive Species Panel 

The panel will develop a pathway risk 

analysis standard with support from the 

PRA panel; complete the discussion 

paper describing NAPPO’s role in 

invasive alien species including 

documentation of relevant Federal 

legislative authority for regulation of 

both terrestrial and aquatic plants in 

North America; and collaborate with the 

PRA panel to review the scientific 

literature on climate change and 

complete the discussion paper on its 

pertinence to the PRA process. 

9. Pest Risk Analysis Panel 

The panel will complete the 

discussion paper on the potential for 

climate change to affect the ability of 

pests to spread and establish in new 

areas, including the implications for the 

current PRA process, with assistance 

from the Invasive Species panel; assist 

the Biological Control panel by 

assessing the risks associated with 

importation of bee pollen into NAPPO 

countries; complete a discussion paper 

summarizing the risk associated with 

the movement of wooden articles 

intended for indoor and outdoor use; 

and complete the development of the 

PRA format including risk-ranking 

guidelines. 


sroberts on DSK5SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES
Federal Register / Vol. 76, No. 203 / Thursday, October 20, 2011 / Notices 65171 

10. Phytosanitary Alert System (PAS) 

Panel 

The panel will prepare a checklist of 

alert sources and ensure that all 

available sources are being utilized but 

not duplicated; coordinate outreach 

with other related Web sites and link 

them to the PAS; evaluate whether users 

are visiting the resources page on the 

PAS Web site and determine whether 

this page should continue to be 

maintained; post pest reports and alerts 

to the NAPPO PAS Web site and 

prepare guidelines for the development 

of pest alerts. 

11. Plants for Planting 

The panel will organize information 

exchange among Government and 

industry in NAPPO countries to 

encourage progress towards 

implementation of RSPM 24, 

‘‘Integrated pest risk management 

measures for the importation of plants 

for planting into NAPPO member 

countries’’; complete the pest list 

annexes; complete development of a 

protocol for hot water treatment of 

grapevines to control Phylloxera; and 

review and update RSPM 18, 

‘‘Guidelines for phytosanitary action 

following detection of Plum Pox Virus.’’ 

12. Potato Panel 

The panel will develop a NAPPO 

diagnostic protocol for Ralstonia 

solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2; develop 

a NAPPO discussion paper on the 

efficacy of potato sprout inhibitors; 

gather the most recent information 

potato virus Y and identify the strains 

of concern to the NAPPO region based 

on biological and economic factors; and 

complete the review of RSPM 3, 

‘‘Guidelines for movement of potatoes 

into a NAPPO member country.’’ 

13. Seeds Panel 

The panel will complete the NAPPO 

regional standard on seed movement; 

continue to collaborate with COSAVE 

on North-South seed trade facilitation; 

support efforts in the development of an 

international standard for seed; and 

prepare an agenda and speakers for a 

symposium on seed movement for the 

2011 NAPPO Annual meeting. 

14. Standards Panel 

The panel will coordinate the review 

of new and amended NAPPO standards, 

diagnostic and treatment protocols, and 

implementation plans; provide updates 

on NAPPO standards and ISPMs for the 

NAPPO Newsletter; maintain the 

NAPPO Glossary; and provide a formal 

description of responsibilities for the 

panel. 

The PPQ Associate Deputy 

Administrator, as the official U.S. 

delegate to NAPPO, intends to 

participate in the adoption of these 

regional plant health standards, 

including the work described above, 

once they are completed and ready for 

such consideration. 

The information in this notice 

contains all the information available to 

us on NAPPO standards currently under 

development or consideration. For 

updates on meeting times and for 

information on the working panels that 

may become available following 

publication of this notice, go to the 

NAPPO Web site on the Internet at 

http://www.nappo.org or contact Ms. 

Julie Aliaga (see FOR FURTHER

INFORMATION CONTACT above). 

Information on official U.S. 

participation in NAPPO activities, 

including U.S. positions on standards 

being considered, may also be obtained 

from Ms. Aliaga. Those wishing to 

provide comments on any of the topics 

being addressed by any of the NAPPO 

panels may do so at any time by 

responding to this notice (see 

ADDRESSES above) or by transmitting 

comments through Ms. Aliaga. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 14th day of 

October 2011. 

Kevin Shea, 

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant 

Health Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2011–27174 Filed 10–19–11; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Foreign-Trade Zones Board 

[Docket 64–2011] 

Foreign-Trade Zone 272—Counties of 

Lehigh and Northampton, PA; 

Application for Reorganization/ 

Expansion Under Alternative Site 

Framework 

An application has been submitted to 

the Foreign-Trade Zones (FTZ) Board 

(the Board) by the Lehigh Valley 

Economic Development Corporation, 

grantee of FTZ 272, requesting authority 

to reorganize and expand the zone 

under the alternative site framework 

(ASF) adopted by the Board (74 FR 

1170, 1/12/09 (correction 74 FR 3987, 1/ 

22/09); 75 FR 71069–71070, 11/22/10). 

The ASF is an option for grantees for the 

establishment or reorganization of 

general-purpose zones and can permit 

significantly greater flexibility in the 

designation of new ‘‘usage-driven’’ FTZ 

sites for operators/users located within 

a grantee’s ‘‘service area’’ in the context 

of the Board’s standard 2,000-acre 

activation limit for a general-purpose 

zone project. The application was 

submitted pursuant to the Foreign-Trade 

Zones Act, as amended (19 U.S.C. 81a– 

81u), and the regulations of the Board 

(15 CFR part 400). It was formally filed 

on October 13, 2011. 

FTZ 272 was approved by the Board 

on April 5, 2007 (Board Order 1502, 72 

FR 18960, 04/16/07), and expanded on 

February 13, 2009 (Board Order 1605, 

74 FR 8903, 02/13/09), and on May 13, 

2010 (Board Order 1679, 75 FR 29975– 

29976, 05/28/10). 

The current zone project includes the 

following sites: Site 1 (727 acres)— 

Lehigh Valley Industrial Park VII at 

Bethlehem Commerce Center, 1805 E, 

4th St., Bethlehem; Site 2 (96 acres)— 

Arcadia East Industrial Park (Lot 3), 

Route 512 and Silver Crest Rd., East 

Allen Township; Site 3 (83 acres)— 

Arcadia West Industrial Park (Lots 2, 5, 

6 and 7), I–78 and Route 863, 

Weisenburg Township; Site 4 (226 

acres)—West Hills Business Center, I–78 

and Route 863, Weisenburg Township; 

Site 5 (399 acres)—Liberty Business 

Center, Industrial Blvd. and Boulder Dr., 

Breinigsville; Site 6 (183 acres)—Lehigh 

Valley West Corporate Center, Nestle 

Way and Schantz Rd., Breinigsville; Site 

7 (213 acres)—LogistiCenter, 4950 

Hanoverville Rd., Bethlehem; Site 8 

(163 acres)—ProLogis Park 33, 3819 and 

3850 ProLogis Parkway, Lower 

Nazareth; and, Site 9 (442 acres)— 

Majestic Bethlehem Center, 3001 

Commerce Blvd., Bethlehem. 

The grantee’s proposed service area 

under the ASF would be the Counties of 

Lehigh and Northampton, Pennsylvania, 

as described in the application. If 

approved, the grantee would be able to 

serve sites throughout the service area 

based on companies’ needs for FTZ 

designation. The proposed service area 

is within and adjacent to the Lehigh 

Valley Customs and Border Protection 

port of entry. 

The applicant is requesting authority 

to reorganize its existing zone project to 

remove Sites 2–4 and to include existing 

sites 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 as magnet sites. 

The ASF allows for the possible 

exemption of one magnet site from the 

‘‘sunset’’ time limits that generally 

apply to sites under the ASF, and the 

applicant proposes that Site 1 be so 

exempted. The applicant is also 

requesting approval of the following 

initial ‘‘usage-driven’’ site: Proposed 

Site 10 (21 acres)—Sigma Aldrich 

Chemical Company, 6950 Ambassador 

Drive, Allentown, Lehigh County, 

Pennsylvania. Because the ASF only 

pertains to establishing or reorganizing 

a general-purpose zone, the application 


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