International Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard-Setting Activities

Published date27 November 2020
Citation85 FR 76006
Record Number2020-26210
SectionNotices
CourtAnimal And Plant Health Inspection Service
Federal Register, Volume 85 Issue 229 (Friday, November 27, 2020)
[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 229 (Friday, November 27, 2020)]
                [Notices]
                [Pages 76006-76010]
                From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
                [FR Doc No: 2020-26210]
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                DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
                Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
                [Docket No. APHIS-2020-0088]
                International Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standard-Setting
                Activities
                AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
                ACTION: Notice and request for comments.
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                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 standard-setting activities.
                ADDRESSES: You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
                 Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to http://www.regulations.gov/#!docketDetail;D=APHIS-2020-0088.
                 Postal Mail/Commercial Delivery: Send your comment to
                Docket No. APHIS-2020-0088, 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-2020-
                0088 or in our reading room, which is located in room 1620 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 Ms. Jessica Mahalingappa, Associate
                Deputy Administrator for 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. Paul Gary Egrie,
                Office of International Affairs, Veterinary Services, APHIS, 4700 River
                Road Unit 33, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-3304.
                 For specific information regarding the standard-setting activities
                of the International Plant Protection Convention, contact Dr. Marina
                Zlotina, PPQ's IPPC Technical Director, International Phytosanitary
                Standards, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 130, Riverdale, MD 20737;
                (301) 851-2200.
                 For specific information on the North American Plant Protection
                Organization, contact Ms. Patricia Abad, PPQ's NAPPO Technical
                Director, International Phytosanitary Standards, PPQ, APHIS, 4700 River
                Road Unit 130, Riverdale, MD 20737; (301) 851-2264.
                [[Page 76007]]
                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; (3) developed under the auspices of the Secretariat of
                the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC or the Convention)
                and 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
                United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) 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 Codex
                Office (USCO), in the United States Department of Agriculture's
                (USDA's) Trade and Foreign Affairs mission area, informs the public of
                standard-setting activities of Codex, and USDA's Animal and Plant
                Health Inspection Service (APHIS) informs the public of OIE, IPPC, and
                NAPPO standard-setting activities.
                 USCO publishes an annual notice in the Federal Register to inform
                the public of SPS standard-setting activities for Codex (85 FR 34161).
                Codex was established in 1963 by two United Nations organizations, the
                Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. It
                is the principle international organization for establishing food
                standards that protect consumer health and promote fair practices in
                food trade.
                 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 standard-setting
                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 182 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 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 presented to the OIE World Assembly of
                Delegates (all the Members) for review and adoption during the General
                Session, which meets annually every May. Adoption, as a general rule,
                is based on consensus of the OIE membership.
                 The most recent OIE General Session was scheduled to occur from May
                24 to 29, 2020, in Paris, France. The Associate Administrator for APHIS
                serves as the official U.S. Delegate to the OIE. Information about OIE
                draft Terrestrial and Aquatic Animal Health Code chapters may be found
                on the internet at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/export/international-standard-setting-activities-oie/regionalization/ct_international_standard_setting_activities_oie or by
                [[Page 76008]]
                contacting Dr. Paul Gary Egrie (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT
                above).
                 The COVID-19 situation worldwide did not allow the OIE to have its
                General Session in 2020, and consequently no Code chapters were
                presented for adoption. The corresponding chapters will be proposed for
                adoption during the General Session tentatively scheduled for May 2021.
                 Chapter 1.1., Notification of diseases, infections and
                infestations, and provision of epidemiological information.
                 Chapter 1.4.3., Animal Health Surveillance.
                 Chapter 1.6., Procedures for self-declaration and for
                official recognition by the OIE.
                 Chapter 3.2., Evaluation of Veterinary Services.
                 Chapter 3.4., Veterinary legislation.
                 Chapter 4.Y., Draft new chapter on official control
                programs for listed and emerging diseases.
                 Chapter 7.Z., Draft new chapter on animal welfare and
                laying hen production systems.
                 Chapter 8.Y., Infection with animal trypanosomes of
                African origin.
                 Chapter 8.15., Infection with Rift Valley fever virus.
                 Chapter 9.4, Article 9.4.5., Infestation with Aethina
                tumida (small hive beetle).
                 Chapter 10.4., Infection with avian influenza viruses.
                 Chapter 15.2., Infection with classical swine fever virus.
                 Articles 14.7.3., 14.7.7., 14.7.24. and 14.7.34.,
                Infection with peste des petits ruminants virus.
                IPPC Standard-Setting Activities
                 The IPPC is a multilateral convention adopted in 1952 to prevent
                the spread and introduction of pests of plants and plant products and
                to promote appropriate measures for their control. The WTO recognizes
                the IPPC as the standard setting body for plant health. Under the IPPC,
                the understanding of plant protection encompasses the protection of
                both cultivated and non-cultivated plants from direct or indirect
                injury by plant pests. The IPPC addresses the following activities:
                Developing, adopting, and implementing international standards for
                phytosanitary (plant health) measures (ISPMs); harmonizing
                phytosanitary activities through adopted standards; facilitating the
                exchange of official and scientific information among contracting
                parties; and providing technical assistance to developing countries
                that are contracting parties to the Convention.
                 The IPPC is deposited within the Food and Agriculture Organization
                of the United Nations and is an international agreement of 184
                contracting parties. National plant protection organizations (NPPOs),
                in cooperation with regional plant protection organizations, the
                Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM), and the Secretariat of the
                IPPC, implement the Convention. The IPPC 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 NPPO is APHIS' Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ)
                program.
                 Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 15th Session of the CPM was
                tentatively postponed to 2021.
                 Standards recommended for adoption in 2020 will be tabled for
                adoption in 2021, and are listed below. The United States develops its
                position on each of these draft standards prior to the CPM session
                based on APHIS' analyses and other relevant information from other U.S.
                Government agencies and interested stakeholders:
                 Draft Revision of ISPM 8: Determination of pest status in
                an area.
                 Draft ISPM: Requirements for the use of modified
                atmosphere treatments as phytosanitary measures.
                 Draft ISPM 5: Glossary of phytosanitary terms (2018
                revisions).
                 In lieu of the Commission meeting, the CPM Bureau has been
                advancing the IPPC work program, including standards setting, as
                actively as possible via virtual means. The IPPC Standards Committee
                and Implementation and Capacity Development Committee also continued
                working during the pandemic by virtually approving draft standards for
                consultation, selecting experts to expert drafting groups, and
                addressing pending standard setting and other plant health initiatives.
                The IPPC electronic certification system (ePhyto) solution also
                progressed in 2020. For example, 27 countries in the European Union
                joined ePhyto through its own system of electronic certification named
                TRACES; Argentina and Chile moved to fully electronic operation for all
                their plant trade; the United Nations International Computing Centre
                and the ePhyto Steering Committee are developing and providing training
                on ePhyto; and preparations are underway to deploy features allowing
                industry systems to receive ePhytos.
                New IPPC Standard-Setting Initiatives, Including Those Under
                Development
                 A number of expert working group (EWG) meetings and technical
                consultations took place from October 2019 through September 2020 on
                the topics listed below. These IPPC projects are currently under
                development and intended for future adoption and publication. APHIS
                participated actively and fully in each of these working groups. APHIS
                developed its position on each of the topics prior to the working group
                meeting. The APHIS position was based on relevant scientific
                information and technical analyses, including information from other
                U.S. Government agencies and from interested stakeholders:
                 EWG for the focused revision of ISPM 12: Phytosanitary
                certificates in relation to re-export.
                 Working group for the revision of the plant pest
                surveillance guide.
                 Reviewing and commenting on the Implementation Guide to
                ISPM 8 currently under development.
                 Reviewing and commenting on the draft outline of the
                future Implementation Guide on e-Commerce.
                 Technical Panel on Diagnostic Protocols.
                 Technical Panel on Phytosanitary Treatments.
                 Technical Panel for the Glossary.
                 For more detailed information on the above, contact Dr. Marina
                Zlotina (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above).
                 PPQ actively works to achieve broad participation by States,
                industry, and other stakeholders in the development and use of
                international and regional plant health standards, including through
                the use of APHIS Stakeholder Registry notices \1\ and the APHIS public
                website. Plant health stakeholders are strongly encouraged to comment
                on draft standards, documents, and specifications during the
                consultation periods. In 2020, 16 draft standards (including
                phytosanitary treatments), 3 draft specifications, 1 draft outline, and
                1 draft CPM recommendation were open for consultation. APHIS posts
                links to draft standards on its website as they become available and
                provides information on the due dates for comments.\2\ Additional
                information on IPPC standards (including the IPPC work program (list of
                topics \3\), calls for new standards, experts to serve on technical
                panels and other working
                [[Page 76009]]
                groups, proposed phytosanitary treatments, standard-setting process,
                and adopted standards) is available on the IPPC website.\4\ For the
                most current information on official U.S. participation in IPPC
                activities, including U.S. positions on standards being considered,
                contact Dr. Marina Zlotina (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 Dr.
                Zlotina.
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                 \1\ To sign up for the Stakeholder Registry, go to: https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDAAPHIS/subscriber/new.
                 \2\ For more information on the IPPC draft ISPM consultation:
                https://;www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/international/sa_phytostandards/ct_draft_standards.
                 \3\ IPPC list of topics: https://www.ippc.int/en/core-activities/standards-setting/list-topics-ippc-standards/.
                 \4\ IPPC website: https://www.ippc.int/.
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                NAPPO Standard-Setting Activities
                 NAPPO, a regional plant protection organization created in 1976
                under the IPPC, coordinates the efforts among the United States,
                Canada, and Mexico to protect their plant resources from the entry,
                establishment, and spread of harmful plant pests, while facilitating
                safe intra- and inter-regional trade. As the NPPO of the United States,
                APHIS' PPQ is the organization officially identified to participate in
                NAPPO. Through NAPPO, APHIS works closely with its regional
                counterparts and industries to develop harmonized regional standards
                and approaches for managing pest threats. This critical work
                facilitates the safe movement of plants and plant products into and
                within the region. NAPPO conducts its work through priority-driven
                projects approved by the NAPPO Executive Committee via an annual work
                program, and conducted by expert groups, including subject matter
                experts from each member country and regional industry representatives.
                Project results and updates are provided during the NAPPO annual
                meeting as well as NAPPO governance meetings. Projects can include the
                development of positions, policies, technical documents, or the
                development or revision of regional standards for phytosanitary
                measures (RSPMs). Projects can also include implementation of standards
                or other capacity development activities such as workshops.
                 The 43rd NAPPO annual meeting was held October 28 to November 1,
                2019, in Montreal, Canada. The meeting featured several strategic
                topics related to NAPPO's work program (e.g. seeds, forest pests, lab
                accreditation, plants for planting, biological control, and risk-based
                sampling), as well as discussions on sea containers, invasive species,
                the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH), the United States-
                Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), and a live ePhyto exchange
                demonstration between the United States and Jamaica. The meeting also
                featured a 1-day symposium on comparing the decision-making procedures
                used by the three countries (Canada, Mexico, and the United States)
                when an exotic plant pest is confirmed in a NAPPO member country. The
                NAPPO Executive Committee meetings took place on October 28, 2019, and
                July 16, 2020 (virtual meeting). The Deputy Administrator for PPQ is
                the U.S. member of the NAPPO Executive Committee.
                 Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, NAPPO's Secretariat and its member
                countries, including regulatory, plant health, and industry officials,
                continue to actively progress on projects and initiatives under the
                NAPPO work program, taking advantage of teleconferencing and other
                virtual meeting tools. NAPPO governance committees, including NAPPO's
                Executive Committee and the Advisory and Management Committee, as well
                as expert groups, continue to communicate and meet virtually on a
                regular basis to actively progress on NAPPO strategic and work program
                initiatives. NAPPO's Advisory and Management Committee continued
                working during the pandemic by virtually approving draft standards for
                consultation; selecting and onboarding experts to newly launched NAPPO
                expert groups on seeds and diagnostics, consignments in transit, and
                wooden and bamboo commodities; and addressing other pending work
                program initiatives. The NAPPO expert groups, including member
                countries' subject matter experts, in collaboration with NAPPO's
                Secretariat, significantly progressed or finalized the following
                regional standards, documents, products, and projects during the period
                of October 2019 to the end of September 2020:
                 Reviewed, discussed, and agreed to archive RSPM 17:
                Guidelines for the establishment, maintenance and verification of fruit
                fly free areas in North America. Experts from all three member
                countries agreed that more comprehensive international standards have
                been adopted at the IPPC that effectively build-on and supersede RSPM
                17.
                 Completed and published proceedings from the NAPPO-
                organized March 2019, Hemispheric Workshop on ISPM 38: International
                movement of seeds. Proceedings are now available on the NAPPO
                website.\5\
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                 \5\ Proceedings of the NAPPO Organized Hemispheric Workshop on
                ISPM 38: International movement of seeds: https://nappo.org/application/files/7115/8687/1174/Final__Proceedings_ISPM_38_Implementation_Workshop.pdf.
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                 Completed the revision or development of the following
                regional standards and documents and launched them for country
                consultation (public comment period) during the summer of 2020: RSPM 9:
                Authorization of laboratories for performing phytosanitary testing,
                RSPM 5: NAPPO glossary of phytosanitary terms, and NAPPO Science and
                Technology (S&T) Document on the risks associated with the introduction
                of exotic lymantriid species of potential concern to the NAPPO region.
                As next steps, comments received from the consultation will be reviewed
                by expert group members to adjust the documents for eventual Executive
                Committee approval.
                 Issued via NAPPO's Phytosanitary Alert System: 23 Official
                Pest Reports for Fiscal Year 2020 (from October 2019 to September
                2020).
                 In addition, NAPPO conducted a call for new project proposals for
                its 2020 Work Program during 2019. U.S. stakeholders were invited to
                submit topics and comment on their priorities through APHIS. In late
                October 2019, the NAPPO call for new project proposals (taking
                stakeholders' comments into account) resulted in three new prioritized
                projects by the NAPPO's Executive Committee, which have been added to
                the 2020 annual work program. The new, prioritized projects focus on
                the following topics: The harmonization of diagnostic protocols for
                seed pests focused on Tomato brown rugose virus (ToBRFV); consignments
                in transit; and the import of wooden and bamboo commodities.
                New NAPPO Standard-Setting Initiatives, Including Those in Development
                 The 2020 work program \6\ includes the following topics being
                worked on by NAPPO expert groups and NAPPO's Advisory and Management
                Committee. APHIS is actively and fully participating in the 2020 NAPPO
                work program. The APHIS position on each topic is guided and informed
                by the best technical and scientific information available, as well as
                on relevant input from stakeholders. For each of the following, where
                applicable, the United States will consider its position on any draft
                standard after it reviews a prepared draft. Information regarding the
                following NAPPO projects, assignments, activities, and updates on
                meeting times and locations may be obtained from the
                [[Page 76010]]
                NAPPO website or by contacting Ms. Patricia Abad (see FOR FURTHER
                INFORMATION CONTACT above).
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                 \6\ NAPPO work program: https://mail.nappo.org/application/files/5415/8624/3760/FINAL_2020_NAPPO_Work_Program_-e.pdf.
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                 1. Seed Diagnostics: A pilot for the harmonization of diagnostic
                protocols for seed pests focused on ToBRFV.
                 2. Development of harmonized regional guidance for North America
                based on ISPM 25: Consignments in transit and the IPPC Transit Manual.
                 3. Revision of RSPM 38: Importation of certain wooden and bamboo
                commodities into a NAPPO member country.
                 4. Revision of RSPM 22: Guidelines for construction and operation
                of a containment facility for insects and mites used as biological
                control agents.
                 5. Forest Products: Develop a NAPPO Science and Technology (S&T)
                document to provide scientific background on live contaminant pests
                associated with wood commodities and wood packaging; and provide
                guidance regarding actions appropriate for addressing related
                phytosanitary risks.
                 6. Support the IYPH: Exchange ideas, develop appropriate materials,
                and support IYPH events in the NAPPO region.
                 7. Revision of RSPM 9: Authorization of laboratories for performing
                phytosanitary testing.
                 8. Revision of RSPM 35: Guidelines for the movement of stone and
                pome fruit trees and grapevines into a NAPPO member country.
                 9. Lymantriids: Complete a NAPPO Science and Technology (S&T)
                document on the risks associated with the introduction of exotic
                lymantriid species of potential concern to the NAPPO region.
                 10. Revision of RSPM 5: NAPPO glossary of phytosanitary terms.
                 11. Risk-Based Sampling: Complete and publish a Risk-Based Sampling
                Manual.
                 12. Asian Gypsy Moth: Validate specific risk periods for regulated
                Asian gypsy moth in countries of origin.
                 13. Foundation and Procedure documents: Continue to update and
                finalize various NAPPO foundation or procedure documents.
                 14. Phytosanitary Alert System: Continue to manage the NAPPO pest
                reporting system.
                 15. Electronic phytosanitary certification (ePhyto): Provide
                assistance and technical support to the IPPC ePhyto Steering Group.
                 16. Stakeholder Engagement: Plan, coordinate and execute activities
                for the next NAPPO Annual Meeting, and publish the quarterly
                newsletter. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 NAPPO annual
                meeting has been postponed to 2021. The 2021 NAPPO annual meeting is
                expected to take place in the United States (and hosted by APHIS) in
                accordance with the NAPPO country rotation.
                 17. Regional Collaboration: Collaboration, focused on information
                exchange, with the Inter-American Coordinating Group in Plant
                Protection, via Technical Working Groups on ePhyto, citrus greening
                (Huanglongbing), fruit flies, and Tuta absoluta.
                 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 and projects, 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 or projects under development or
                consideration. For updates on meeting times and for information on the
                expert groups that may become available following publication of this
                notice, visit the NAPPO website or contact Ms. Patricia Abad (see FOR
                FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT above). PPQ actively works to achieve broad
                participation by States, industry, and other stakeholders in the
                development and use of international and regional plant health
                standards, including through the use of APHIS Stakeholder Registry
                notices and the APHIS public website. Plant health stakeholders are
                strongly encouraged to comment on draft standards, documents, and
                specifications during consultation periods. In 2020, two revised NAPPO
                standards and one Science & Technology document were open for
                consultation. APHIS posts links to draft standards on the internet as
                they become available and provides information on the due dates for
                comments.\7\ Additional information on NAPPO standards (including the
                NAPPO Work Program, standard setting process, and adopted standards) is
                available on the NAPPO website.\8\ Information on official U.S.
                participation in NAPPO activities, including U.S. positions on
                standards being considered, may also be obtained from Ms. Abad. 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 Ms. Abad.
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                 \7\ For more information on the NAPPO draft RSPM consultation:
                https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/planthealth/international/sa_phytostandards/ct_draft_standards.
                 \8\ NAPPO website: http://nappo.org/.
                 Done in Washington, DC, this 23rd day of November 2020.
                Mark Davidson,
                Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
                [FR Doc. 2020-26210 Filed 11-25-20; 8:45 am]
                BILLING CODE 3410-34-P
                

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