The U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a Federal Register notice requesting comments on international sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) standard-setting activities.
For reference, the Department of Agriculture is responsible for informing the public of the SPS activities of each international standard-setting organization, in line with the World Trade Organization (WTO) SPS Agreement. The 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 SPS 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.
APHIS is thus publishing an annual notice of World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC), and the North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) activities related to international standards for plant and animal health and representing the United States with respect to these standards.
The notice invites comments or requests for information to and from the Department of Agriculture. Instructions for submitting comments and contact information can be found in the Federal Register notice.
