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, 8895-8896 [2016-03675]

Download as PDF 8895 Notices Federal Register Vol. 81, No. 35 Tuesday, February 23, 2016 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. 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 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice. AGENCY: 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 Statedefined 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; Donald.B.Link@ aphis.usda.gov. mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES SUMMARY: VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:06 Feb 22, 2016 Jkt 238001 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 https://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 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 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: https:// 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. E:\FR\FM\23FEN1.SGM 23FEN1 8896 Federal Register / Vol. 81, No. 35 / Tuesday, February 23, 2016 / Notices 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 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Farm Service Agency Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request mstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with NOTICES February 17, 2016. The Department of Agriculture has submitted the following information collection requirement(s) to OMB for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104–13. Comments are required regarding (1) whether the collection of information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information will have practical utility; (2) the accuracy of the agency’s estimate of burden including the validity of the methodology and assumptions used; (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the information to be collected; and (4) 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 forms of information technology. Comments regarding this information collection received by March 24, 2016 will be considered. Written comments should be addressed to: Desk Officer for Agriculture, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), New Executive Office Building, 725—17th Street NW., Washington, DC 20502. Commenters are encouraged to submit their comments to OMB via email to: OIRA_Submission@OMB.EOP.GOV or fax (202) 395–5806 and to Departmental Clearance Office, USDA, OCIO, Mail Stop 7602, Washington, DC 20250– 7602. Copies of the submission(s) may be obtained by calling (202) 720–8958. An agency may not conduct or sponsor a collection of information unless the collection of information displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information that such persons are not required to respond to the collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. VerDate Sep<11>2014 17:06 Feb 22, 2016 Jkt 238001 Farm Service Agency Title: Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act Report. OMB Control Number: 0560–0097. Summary of Collection: The Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure Act of 1978 (AFIDA) requires foreign investors to report in a timely manner all held, acquired, or transferred U.S. agricultural land under penalty of law to Farm Service Agency (FSA). Authority for the collection of the information was delegated by the Secretary of Agriculture to the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The statute of authority is 92 STAT (1263–1267) or 7 U.S.C. 3501–3508 or Public Law 95– 460. Foreign investors may obtain form FSA–153, AFIDA Report, from their local FSA county office or from the FSA Internet site. Need and Use of the Information: The information collected from the AFIDA Reports is used to monitor the effect of foreign investment upon family farms and rural communities and in the preparation of a voluntary report to Congress and the President. Congress reviews the report and decides if regulatory action is necessary to limit the amount of foreign investment in U.S. agricultural land. If this information was not collected, USDA could not effectively monitor foreign investment and the impact of such holdings upon family farms and rural communities. Description of Respondents: Business or other for-profit; Individuals or households; Farms. Number of Respondents: 5,525. Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually. Total Burden Hours: 2,631. Title: Servicing Minor Program Loans. OMB Control Number: 0560–0230. Summary of Collection: Farm Loan Program staff provides supervised credit in the form of loans to family farmers and ranchers to purchase land and finance agricultural production. Regulations are promulgated to implement selected provisions of sections 331 and 335 of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act. Section 331 authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to grant releases from personal liability where security property is transferred to approve applicants who, under agreement, assume the outstanding secured indebtedness. Section 335 provides servicing authority for real estate security; operation or lease of realty, disposition of surplus property; conveyance of complete interest of the United States; easements; and condemnations. The information is PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4703 Sfmt 4703 collected from Farm Service Agency (FSA) Minor Program borrowers who may be individual farmers or farming partnerships, associations, or corporations. Need and Use of the Information: FSA will collect information related to a program benefit recipient or loan borrower requesting action on security they own, which was purchased with FSA loan funds, improved with FSA loan funds or has otherwise been mortgaged to FSA to secure a Government loan. The information collected is primarily financial data, such as borrower’s asset values, current financial information and public use and employment data. Failure to obtain this information at the time of the request for servicing will result in rejection of the borrower’s request. Description of Respondents: Farms; Individuals or households; Business or other-for-profit; Not-for-profit institutions; State. Local and Tribal Government. Number of Respondents: 58. Frequency of Responses: Reporting: On occasion; Annually. Total Burden Hours: 37. Ruth Brown, Departmental Information Collection Clearance Officer. [FR Doc. 2016–03676 Filed 2–22–16; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 3410–05–P DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Food Safety and Inspection Service [Docket No. FSIS–2016–0005] National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of public meeting. AGENCY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is announcing that the National Advisory Committee on Meat and Poultry Inspection (NACMPI) is sponsoring a public meeting on March 29–30, 2016. The objective of the public meeting is to review and determine the steps FSIS should take to ensure better Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) control at retail. FSIS is seeking input on whether FSIS should require certain actions by retail stores. FSIS will ask the Committee to consider the following: (1) Should FSIS rely on regulation, the Food Code, or some other means to effect these actions? (2) Are there sources of information that FSIS should consider when deciding on what steps to take that the Agency has not identified? SUMMARY: E:\FR\FM\23FEN1.SGM 23FEN1

Agencies

[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; Donald.B.Link@aphis.usda.gov.

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 https://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: https://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
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