. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/537
7 January 2002
(02-0066)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  UNITED STATES
If applicable, name of local government involved:           
2. Agency responsible:  Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service - APHIS
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where
applicable).  Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or
practicable:  Nursery stock
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Update of Nursery Stock
Regulations (12 pages)
5. Description of content:  The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is
proposing to amend the regulations for importing nursery stock to require additional
certifications for imported niger seed and lilac, to reflect recent changes in plant taxonomy
and pest distributions, and to make various changes to the requirements for post entryquarantine of imported plants.  We are also proposing several other amendments to update
and clarify the regulations and improve their effectiveness.  This action is necessary to
update the existing regulations and make them easier to understand and implement.
6. Objective and rationale: [    ] food safety,  [    ] animal health,  [  X ] plant protection,
[    ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [    ] protect territory from
other damage from pests           
7. An international standard, guideline or recommendation does not exist [    ].
If an international standard, guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:  This proposal is consistent with Article 7 of the
International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 66 FR 67123,
28 December 2001 (Available in English)
9. Proposed date of adoption:  To be determined.
10. Proposed date of entry into force:  To be determined.G/SPS/N/USA/537
Page 2
11. Final date for comments: APHIS will consider all comments that we receive by
26 February 2002.
Agency or authority designated to handle comments:  Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service [    ] National notification authority, [     ] National enquiry point, or
address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:  Detailed
instruction on where and how to send comments is in the body of the full text - which will
be sent upon request to the address in paragraph 12.
12. Texts available from: [  X ] National notification authority, [  X ] National enquiry point
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
United States SPS Enquiry Point/Notification Authority
USDA/FAS/FSTSD
ATTN: Carolyn F. Wilson
Room 5545 South Agriculture Building
Stop 10271400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Tel:  (202) 720-2239
Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail:  ofsts@fas.usda.gov