. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/623
23 July 2002
(02-4078)
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Original:  English
NOTIFICATION OF EMERGENCY MEASURES
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 should be provided in addition, where
applicable):   Ruminants, meat, meat products, an d certain other products of ruminants
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Israel
5. Title, language  and number of pages of the notified document:  Change in Disease
Status of Israel because of BSE (2 pages)
6. Description of content:   The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is amending the
regulations by adding Israel to the list of regions where bovine spongiform encephalopathy
(BSE) exists because the disease has been detected in a native-born animal in that region.
The effect of this action is a restriction on the importation of ruminants that have been in
Israel and meat, meat products, and certain other products of ruminants that have been inIsrael.  This action is necessary to help prevent the introduction of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy into the United States.
7. Objective and rationale:  [    ] food safety, [ X ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[   ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ]  protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. Nature of the urgent problem(s) and reason for urgent action:  This rulemaking is
necessary on an emergency basis to update th e disease status of Israel regarding BSE.
9. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [ X ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [   ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
10. Relevant documents and language(s ) in which these are available:   67 FR 47243,
18 July 2002 (Available in English)
11. Date of entry into force/period of application (as applicable):   This rule is effective
retroactively to 4 June 2002.  APHIS will consider all comments that we receive on or
before 16 September 2002.G/SPS/N/USA/623
Page 2
12. Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [   ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:  Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
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 13.
13. 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 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone:  (202) 720-2239Fax:  (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address:  fstsd@fas.usda.gov