6532 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 2014 / Notices 

issuance of a FONSI, APHIS does not 

intend to issue a separate EA and FONSI 

to support the issuance of the product 

license, and would determine that an 

environmental impact statement need 

not be prepared. APHIS intends to issue 

a veterinary biological product license 

for this vaccine following completion of 

the field test provided no adverse 

impacts on the human environment are 

identified and provided the product 

meets all other requirements for 

licensing. 

Authority: 21 U.S.C. 151–159. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of 

January 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–02273 Filed 2–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Animal and Plant Health Inspection 

Service 

[Docket No. APHIS–2013–0100] 

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/#!document

Detail;D=APHIS-2012-0082-0001. 

• Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: 

Send your comment to Docket No. 

APHIS–2012–0082, 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-2012-0082 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) 799–7039 before 

coming. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For 

general information on the topics 

covered in this notice, contact Mrs. 

Jessica Mahalingappa, Acting Associate 

Deputy Administrator for SPS 

Management, International Services, 

APHIS, room 1132, USDA South 

Building, 14th Street and Independence 

Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250; 

(202) 799–7121. 

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/

Export, VS, APHIS, 4700 River Road 

Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 20737–1231; 

(301) 851–3302. 

For specific information regarding the 

standard-setting activities of the 

International Plant Protection 

Convention, contact Ms. Julie E. Aliaga, 

Program Director, International 

Phytosanitary Standards, PPQ, APHIS, 

4700 River Road Unit 140, Riverdale, 

MD 20737–1236; (301) 851–2032. 

For specific information on the North 

American Plant Protection Organization, 

contact Dr. Christina Devorshak, PPQ 

Technical Director for NAPPO, PPQ, 

APHIS, 1730 Varsity Drive, Suite 300, 

Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 855–7547. 

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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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 2014 / Notices 6533 

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 25–30, 2014, 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 During the May 2013 General 

Session 

Over 30 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 

Updates the definition of veterinarian 

in the chapter. 

2. Chapter 1.1, Notification of Diseases 

and Epidemiological Information 

Text changes update some of the 

terminology in this chapter. 

3. Chapter 3.2, Evaluation of Veterinary 

Services 

Text in this chapter was modified for 

clarity. 

4. Chapter 3.4, Veterinary Legislation 

This Code chapter was adopted in 

2012, but in 2013 it received minor 

modifications to clarify some of the 

text. 

5. Chapter 4.6, Collection and 

Processing of Bovine, Small 

Ruminant, and Porcine Semen 

This Code chapter was slightly 

updated to clarify some points. 

6. Chapter 4.7, Collection and 

Processing in vivo Derived Embryos 

from Livestock and Equids 

This Code chapter also received some 

minor updates for clarity. 

7. Chapter 6.9. Responsible and Prudent 

Use of Antimicrobial Agents in 

Veterinary Medicine 

This Code chapter provides new text 

for additional clarification of the 

responsibilities of the Competent 

Authority to oversee the use of 

antimicrobial agents. 

8. Chapter 8.13, Infection with 

Trichinella spp. 

This Code chapter was completely 

rewritten and its recommendations 

are meant to complement the Codex 

Alimentarius chapter on 

Trichinella. 

9. Chapter 10.4 Infection with Avian 

Influenza (AI) Viruses 

The terminology of ‘‘avian influenza’’ 

was changed by removing the term 

‘‘notifiable’’ and replacing it with 

‘‘avian influenza’’ or ‘‘highly 

pathogenic AI,’’ depending on the 

context of the chapter. 

10. Chapter 12. 9. Infection with Equine 

Viral Arteritis (EVA) 

The text in this chapter was expanded 

to include embryo transfer as a 

vehicle of virus transmission from 

an EVA carrier stallion to a 

recipient mare. 

11. Chapter 14.8 Infection with Peste 

des Petits Ruminants Virus (PPR) 

An updated chapter was adopted with 

the inclusion of specific 

requirements for the trade of meat 

and meat products as safe 

commodities regardless of the 

country PPR status. 

12. Chapter 7.9, Animal Welfare and 

Beef Cattle Production Systems 

Text in the chapter was amended to 

include the avoidance of dragging 

of non-ambulatory cattle, the 

reduction of stocking density as a 

measure of managing heat stress, 

and conditions for tethering were 

modified to improve clarity. 

13. Chapter 7.10, Animal Welfare and 

Broiler Chicken Production Systems 

Throughout the chapter, the Code 

Commission accepted Member 

Country suggestions to improve 

clarity and to consistently use the 

terms completely outdoors systems, 

humanely killed, day-old bird(s), 

and broilers. 

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6534 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 2014 / Notices 

1 IPPC Standard Setting procedure: https://

www.ippc.int/core-activities/standards-setting. 

2 Draft ISPMs submitted for member consultation: 

https://www.ippc.int/core-activities/standardssetting/member-consultation-draft-ispms. 

Draft ISPMs submitted for substantial concerns 

commenting period: https://www.ippc.int/coreactivities/standards-setting/substantial-concernscommenting-period-sccp-draft-ispms. 

Draft ISPMs submitted for adoption: https://

www.ippc.int/core-activities/standards-setting/

formal-objections-draft-ispms-14-days-prior-cpm. 

The following Aquatic Code chapters 

are of particular interest to the United 

States: 

1. Chapter 1.3, Diseases Listed by the 

OIE 

Listing of infection with ostreid 

herpesvirus-1 microvariant, as an 

emerging molluskan disease. 

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 2014 include the 

following: 

• Chapter 6.10, Risk Assessment for 

Antimicrobial Resistance Arising from 

the Use of Antimicrobial Agents in 

Animals. 

• Chapter 12.1, Infection with African 

Horse Sickness Virus. 

• Chapter 11.8, Infection with 

Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. Mycoides 

(Contagious bovine pleuropneumonia). 

• Chapter 1.6, Procedures for selfdeclaration and for official recognition 

by the OIE (Chapter 11.8). 

• Draft Chapter 4.X., The High Health 

Status horse subpopulation. 

• Chapter 1.4., Animal health 

surveillance. 

• Chapter 8.X., Infection with 

Brucella abortus, B. melitensis and B. 

suis. 

• Chapter 15.2, Classical swine fever. 

• Chapter 7.X Animal Welfare and 

Dairy Cattle Production Systems. 

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 (ISPMs), 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 (CPMand the Secretariat of the 

IPPC. The United States plays a major 

role in all standard-setting 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. 

Every 2 years, NPPOs and RPPOs 

propose topics for ISPMs, which are 

then prioritized and approved by the 

CPM. All contracting parties agree to the 

scope of the draft ISPM and then NPPOs 

and RPPOs nominate experts to draft the 

ISPM. The draft ISPM then enters the 

member consultation stage, in which 

countries submit comments. The 

comments are incorporated and the 

draft ISPM is presented for the final 

member consultation stage, and is then 

adopted by the CPM. On average, this 

process takes 5 to 7 years. More detailed 

information on the standard setting 

process can be found on the IPPC Web 

site.1

Each member country is represented 

on the CPM by a single delegate. 

Although experts and advisors may 

accompany the delegate to meetings of 

the CPM, only the delegate (or an 

authorized alternate) may represent 

each member country in considering a 

standard proposed 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, Capacity Development 

Committee, and the CPM Bureau. 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. Interested 

individuals may review the standards 2

and submit comments to Julie.E.Aliaga@

aphis.usda.gov. 

The Ninth Session of the CPM is 

scheduled for March 31 to April 4, 2014, 

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. 

It is expected that the following 

standards will be sufficiently developed 

to be considered by the CPM for 

adoption at its 2014 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. 

• Appendix to ISPM 12: Electronic 

certification, information on standard 

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Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 2014 / Notices 6535 

3For more information on the IPPC draft ISPM 

member consultation: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/

plant_health/international/

PhytosanitaryStandards/draft_standards.shtml. 

4 IPPC Web site: https://www.ippc.int/. 

XML schemas and exchange 

mechanisms. 

• Annex to ISPM 26: Establishment of 

fruit fly quarantine areas within a pest 

free area in the event of an outbreak. 

• New ISPM: Determination of host 

status of fruits and vegetables to fruit fly 

(Tephritidae) infestation. 

• Annexes to ISPM 28: Phytosanitary 

treatments. 

Æ Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata 

on Citrus sinensis. 

Æ Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata 

on Citrus reticulata × C. sinensis. 

Æ Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata 

on Citrus limon. 

Æ Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni 

on Citrus limon. 

Æ Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni 

on Citrus sinensis. 

Æ Cold treatment for Bactrocera tryoni 

on Citrus reticulata × C. sinensis. 

Æ Cold treatment for Ceratitis capitata 

on Citrus paradisi. 

Æ Vapor heat treatment for Bactrocera 

cucurbitae on Cucumis melo var. 

Reticulatus. 

Æ Irradiation for Dysmicoccus 

neobrevipes Beardsley, Planococcus 

lilacinus (Cockerell), and Planococcus 

minor (Maskell) (Hemiptera: 

Pseudococcidae). 

• Annexes to ISPM 27: Diagnostic 

Protocols. 

Æ Phyllosticta citricarpa on fruit. 

Æ Tilletia indica. 

New Standard-Setting Initiatives, 

Including Those in Development 

A number of expert working group 

(EWG) meetings or other technical 

consultations will take place during 

2014 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. 

• EWG on international movement of 

cut flowers and branches. 

• Technical Panel on phytosanitary 

treatments. 

• Technical Panel on the Glossary. 

• Technical Panel on forest 

quarantine. 

• Technical Panel on diagnostic 

protocols. 

• The specification for the 

international movement of grain will be 

available for country consultation. 

For more detailed information on the 

above, contact Ms. Julie E. Aliaga (see 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT

above). 

APHIS posts links to draft standards 

on the Internet as they become available 

and provides information on the due 

dates for comments.3 Additional 

information on IPPC standards 

(including the standard setting process 

and adopted standards) is available on 

the IPPC Web site.4 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. 

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 

commodity based panels, expert groups, 

and annual meetings held among the 

three member countries. The NAPPO 

Executive Committee charges individual 

panels or expert groups with the 

responsibility for drawing up proposals 

for NAPPO positions, policies, and 

standards. Panels and expert groups are 

made up of representatives from each 

member country who have scientific 

expertise related to the policy or 

standard being considered, as well as 

representatives from key industries or 

commodity groups (e.g., nursery, seed, 

forestry, grains, potato, citrus, etc.). 

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.nappo.org/en/. 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 was held 

October 29 to 31, 2013, in Guelph, 

Ontario, Canada. The NAPPO Executive 

Committee meeting took place on 

October 28, 2013. The Deputy 

Administrator for PPQ, or his designee 

(in this case, the Assistant Deputy 

Administrator for Field Operations), is a 

member of the NAPPO Executive 

Committee. The Assistant Deputy 

Administrator for Field Operations 

participated in the proceedings to 

discuss or comment on APHIS’ position 

on standards proposed for adoption or 

any proposals to develop new 

standards. 

Below is a summary of the current 

NAPPO work program as it relates to the 

ongoing development of NAPPO 

standards. The United States (i.e., 

USDA/APHIS) intends to participate 

actively and fully in the NAPPO work 

program. 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 topics, 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 

Dr. Christina Devorshak (see FOR

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). 

The current work program includes 

the following topics. 

1. Authorization—The Authorization 

panel will finalize RSPM 28, 

‘‘Guidelines for Authorization of 

Entities to Perform Phytosanitary 

Services,’’ based on comments received 

through country consultation. 

2. Citrus—The Citrus commodity 

panel will finalize a document on 

recommended measures for the 

establishment and maintenance of area 

wide management programs for 

Huanglongbing and its vector. The panel 

will also develop a document for 

identification of new and emerging 

citrus quarantine pests and methods for 

their identification and management (no 

meeting/work electronically only). 

3. Forestry—The Forestry commodity 

panel will organize a workshop 

(regional or international) on 

implementation of ISPM 15, Regulation 

of wood packaging material in 

international trade. It will also review 

and incorporate comments made to the 

Science and Technology document on 

heat treatment of wood products. The 

panel is also developing a specification 

for a possible standard on the potential 

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6536 Federal Register / Vol. 79, No. 23 / Tuesday, February 4, 2014 / Notices 

use of systems approaches to manage 

pest risks associated with the movement 

of wood. Lastly the panel is completing 

development of a Science and 

Technology document on biological 

control of emerald ash borer (EAB). 

4. Pest risk analysis—An expert group 

will be appointed to develop a NAPPO 

Science and Technology paper on the 

risks associated with Lymantriids of 

potential concern to the NAPPO region, 

identifying potential species and 

pathways of concern. A specification for 

a regional standard on diversion from 

intended use is also being prepared. 

5. Fruit—The Fruit panel will finalize 

the Annex to RSPM 17 on guidelines for 

development of, and efficacy 

verification for, lures and traps for 

arthropod pests of fruits: format as 

Appendix, submit for country 

consultation and finalize. 

6. Grain—The Grain panel will 

develop a discussion paper related to 

the issue of phytosanitary certification 

of grain re-export and in-transit 

movement within North America and 

for re-export of grain to off-continent 

destinations. 

7. Host status—An expert group will 

be established to develop a standard on 

‘‘Criteria for the determination of host 

status of pest arthropods and pathogens 

based on available information’’ 

according to the approved 

specifications. 

8. Oversight—The Oversight panel 

will finalize RSPM 41, Guidelines for 

oversight programs, based on comments 

received through country consultation, 

due to begin in November 2013. 

9. Pest Risk Management—A draft 

regional standard for pest risk 

management (RSPM 40, Pest Risk 

Management), is under final revision 

based on comments received through 

country consultation. 

10. Phytosanitary Alert System—The 

Phytosanitary Alert System (PAS) 

manages the NAPPO pest reporting 

system and work towards eliminating 

any duplication in reporting to the IPPC. 

11. Plants for Planting—An expert 

group will be appointed to revise RSPM 

18 (2004), Guidelines for phytosanitary 

action following detection of plum pox 

virus. 

12. Potato—The Potato panel will 

revise Annex 6 of RSPM 3 (2011), 

Guidelines for movement of potatoes 

into a NAPPO member country based on 

the PVY TAG Science and Technology 

document finalized in 2013; they will 

also revise the pest list for RSPM 3. 

They will review the existing RSPM 3 

(2011), Guidelines for movement of 

potatoes into a NAPPO member country 

to align it with ISPM 33 (2010), Pest free 

potato (Solanum sp.) micropropagative 

material and minitubers for 

international trade and discuss any 

adjustments required by NAPPO 

member countries. 

13. Seed—The Seed panel will 

continue the development of technical 

information for the RSPM 36 (2013), 

Phytosanitary guidelines for the 

movement of seed into a NAPPO 

member country, including the 

preparation of a process for petitioning 

NAPPO to officially add technical 

information to RSPM 36 and the 

development of annexes and appendices 

for five additional seed commodities: 

Tomato, pepper, spinach, lettuce, and 

watermelon. They will also prepare a 

comprehensive analysis and evaluation 

of overall phytosanitary risk of seed that 

is moved internationally, and prospects 

for harmonization of seed phytosanitary 

approaches among the NAPPO member 

countries, as a NAPPO discussion 

document. 

14. Electronic Phytosanitary 

Certification (E-phyto) Panel—The 

panel conducted a regional workshop 

on E-phyto in Costa Rica for Latin 

American countries in 2013. Ongoing 

E-phyto work is primarily conducted 

through the IPPC; however, the NAPPO 

Annual Symposium conducted in 

conjunction with the Annual Meeting in 

2014 will be focused on further 

development of E-phyto internationally. 

The PPQ Assistant 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 Dr. 

Christina Devorshak (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 Dr. Devorshak. Those wishing to 

provide comments on any of the topics 

being addressed in the NAPPO work 

program may do so at any time by 

responding to this notice (see 

ADDRESSES above) or by transmitting 

comments through Dr. Devorshak. 

Done in Washington, DC, this 29th day of 

January 2014. 

Kevin Shea, 

Administrator, Animal and Plant Health 

Inspection Service. 

[FR Doc. 2014–02274 Filed 2–3–14; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3410–34–P 

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

Food and Nutrition Service 

Agency Information Collection 

Activities: Proposed Collection: 

Comment Request: Form FNS–583, 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program Employment and Training 

Program Activity Report 

AGENCY: Food and Nutrition Service 

(FNS), USDA. 

ACTION: Notice. 

SUMMARY: In accordance with the 

Paperwork Reduction Act, this notice 

invites the public and other public 

agencies to comment on a proposed 

information collection burden for the 

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance 

Program (SNAP), Employment and 

Training (E&T) Program, currently 

approved under OMB No. 0584–0339. 

This is an extension without revision of 

a currently approved collection. The 

burden estimate remains 21,889 hours. 

DATES: Submit written comments on or 

before April 7, 2014. 

ADDRESSES: Comments are invited on: 

(a) Whether the proposed collection of 

information is necessary for the proper 

performance of the functions of the 

agency, including whether the 

information will have practical utility; 

(b) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate 

of burden of the proposed collection of 

information, including validity of the 

methodology and assumptions used; (c) 

ways to enhance the quality, utility and 

clarity of the information to be 

collected; and (d) ways to minimize the 

burden of the collection of information 

on those who are to respond, including 

through the use of appropriate 

automated, electronic, mechanical or 

other technological collection 

techniques or other form of information 

technology. 

Comments may be sent to Sasha 

Gersten-Paal, Acting Chief, Program 

Design Branch, Program Development 

Division, Supplemental Nutrition 

Assistance Program, Food and Nutrition 

Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

3101 Park Center Drive, Room 810, 

Alexandria, Virginia, 22302. Comments 

may also be submitted via fax to the 

attention of Sasha Gersten-Paal at 703– 

mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES