[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8895-8896]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03675]
========================================================================
Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
========================================================================
Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2016 /
Notices
[[Page 8895]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
[Docket No. APHIS-2015-0011]
Recognizing European Union (EU) and EU Member State
Regionalization Decisions for African Swine Fever (ASF) by Updating the
APHIS List of Regions Affected With ASF
AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: We are advising the public that we added European Union (EU)
and EU Member State-defined regions of the EU to the Animal and Plant
Health Inspection Service (APHIS) list of regions affected with African
swine fever (ASF). Going forward we will recognize as affected with ASF
any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has placed
under restriction because of detection of ASF. These regions currently
include portions of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, and all of
Sardinia. APHIS will list the EU- and EU Member State-defined regions
as a single entity. We also removed Sardinia as an individually listed
region from the APHIS list of ASF affected regions. We took these
actions because of the detection of ASF in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
and Poland.
DATES: Effective Date: The addition of the EU- and EU Member State-
defined regions to the APHIS list of regions affected with ASF was
effective August 31, 2015.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Donald Link, Import Risk Analyst,
Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services,
Veterinary Services, APHIS, 920 Main Campus Drive, Suite 200, Raleigh,
NC 27606; (919) 855-7731; [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The regulations in 9 CFR part 94 (referred
to below as the regulations) govern the importation of certain animals
and animal products into the United States to prevent the introduction
of various animal diseases, including rinderpest, foot-and-mouth
disease, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, swine vesicular disease,
classical swine fever, and African swine fever (ASF). The regulations
prohibit or restrict the importation of live ruminants and swine, and
products from these animals, from regions where these diseases are
considered to exist.
Sections 94.8 and 94.17 of the regulations contain requirements
governing the importation into the United States of pork and pork
products from regions of the world where ASF exists or is reasonably
believed to exist. A list of regions where ASF exists or is reasonably
believed to exist is maintained on the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service (APHIS) Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animals_disease_status.shtml.
In a notice published in the Federal Register on August 31, 2015
(80 FR 52440-52441, Docket No. APHIS-2015-0011), we amended the list of
regions where ASF exists or is reasonably believed to exist by adding a
new entry that reads ``Any restricted zone in the European Union (EU)
established by the EU or any EU Member State because of detection of
African swine fever in domestic or feral swine.'' We also removed
Sardinia as an individually listed region because Sardinia is under ASF
restrictions by the EU. These list changes were effective August 31,
2015, and as a result of that action, the importation into the United
States of pork and pork products from EU regions under restrictions for
ASF became restricted.
The notice also proposed that APHIS would recognize as affected
with ASF any region of the EU that the EU or any EU Member State has
placed under restriction because of detection of ASF. Going forward,
the APHIS-recognized ASF status of almost any region of the EU would
follow the EU and EU Member State restrictions based on ASF detections;
we would not list each affected region of the EU. The only exception
would be Malta, which we currently recognize as affected with ASF, but
which is not under ASF restrictions by the EU.
Comments on the notice were required to be received on or before
October 30, 2015. We received one comment, from a domestic pork
industry association. The commenter did not object to the recognition
of EU and EU Member State regionalization decisions for ASF in the EU.
The commenter expressed concern that ASF continues to spread within the
wild boar population, and concern that the potential exists for further
spread. The commenter urged APHIS to remain extremely vigilant
regarding actions by the European Commission (EC) and affected Member
States to address ASF.
APHIS agrees with the commenter that ASF continues to spread in
wild boar, and that the potential exists for further spread. APHIS
agrees with the commenter that we should remain extremely vigilant
regarding actions taken by the EC and affected Member States to address
ASF. APHIS will continue monitor the epidemiological situation. If the
EU or an EU Member State significantly changes or entirely removes its
ASF restrictions or otherwise significantly alters its regulatory
framework for ASF, APHIS will conduct an evaluation to assess the
impact of the changes on the risk of ASF introduction into the United
States. APHIS will present for public comment the findings of any such
evaluation.
Because the EU- and EU Member State-defined ASF-affected regions
include areas not currently on the APHIS list of ASF-affected regions,
we added the new entry to our list effective August 31, 2015, to
prevent the introduction of ASF into the United States. The list of
ASF-affected regions can be found at: http://www.aphis.usda.gov/import_export/animals/animals_disease_status.shtml. Copies of the list
are also available via postal mail, fax, or email upon request to the
Regionalization Evaluation Services, National Import Export Services,
Veterinary Services, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 4700
River Road Unit 38, Riverdale, MD 20737.
Authority: 7 U.S.C. 450, 7701-7772, 7781-7786, and 8301-8317;
21 U.S.C. 136 and 136a; 31 U.S.C. 9701; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.4.
[[Page 8896]]
Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of February 2016.
Kevin Shea,
Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 2016-03675 Filed 2-22-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P