28416 Notices Federal Register Vol. 62, No. 100 Friday, May 23, 1997 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER 1255 22nd Street, NW, Room 311, West interests of consumers. Through contains documents other than rules or End Court Building, Washington, DC adoption of food standards, codes of proposed rules that are applicable to the 20250±3700; (202) 418±8852. For practice, and other guidelines public. Notices of hearings and investigations, information pertaining to particular developed by its committees and by committee meetings, agency decisions and committees, the delegate of that promoting their adoption and rulings, delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency committee may be contacted. (A implementation by governments, Codex statements of organization and functions are complete list of U.S. delegates and seeks to ensure that the world's food examples of documents appearing in this alternate delegates can be found in supply is sound, wholesome, free from section. Appendix 1 to this notice.) adulteration, and correctly labeled. In SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: the United States, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); the DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Background Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The World Trade Organization (WTO) Department of Health and Human Food Safety and Inspection Service was established on January 1, 1995, as Services (HHS), and the Environmental [Docket No. 97±026N] the common international institutional Protection Agency (EPA) manage and framework for the conduct of trade carry out U.S. Codex activities. International Standard-Setting relations among its members in matters As the agency responsible for Activities related to the Uruguay Round informing the public of the sanitary and Agreements. The WTO is the successor phytosanitary standard-setting activities AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection organization to the General Agreements of Codex, FSIS will publish this notice Service, USDA. on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). U.S. in the Federal Register annually, setting ACTION: Notice. membership in the WTO was approved forth the following information: by Congress when it enacted the 1. The sanitary or phytosanitary SUMMARY: This notice informs the public Uruguay Round Agreements Act, which standards under consideration or of the sanitary and phytosanitary was signed into law by the President on planned for consideration; and standard-setting activities of the Codex December 8, 1994. Pursuant to section 2. For each sanitary or phytosanitary Alimentarius Commission (Codex), in 491 of the Trade Agreements Act of standard specified: accordance with section 491 of the 1979, as amended, the President is a. A description of the consideration Trade Agreements Act of 1979, as required to designate an agency to be or planned consideration of the amended by the Uruguay Round responsible for informing the public of standard; Agreements Act, Pub. L. 103±465, 108 the sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) b. Whether the United States is Stat. 4809 (1994), and seeks comments standard-setting activities of each participating or plans to participate in on standards currently under international standard-setting the consideration of the standard; consideration and recommendations for organization, Codex, International The agenda for United States new standards. It also lists other Office of Epizootics, and the participation, if any; and standard-setting activities of Codex, International Plant Protection d. The agency responsible for including commodity standards, Convention. The President, pursuant to representing the United States with guidelines, codes of practice, and Proclamation No. 6780 of March 23, respect to the standard. revised texts. This notice covers the 1995 (60 FR 15845), designated the U.S. To obtain copies of those standards time periods from June 1, 1996, to May Department of Agriculture as the agency listed in this notice that are under 31, 1997, and May 31, 1997, to June 1, responsible for informing the public of consideration by Codex, please contact 1998. sanitary and phytosanitary standard- the Codex delegate or the office of U.S. ADDRESSES: Submit written comments setting activities of each international Codex Alimentarius. This notice also to: FSIS Docket Clerk, U.S. Department standard-setting organization. The solicits public comment on those of Agriculture, Food Safety and Secretary of Agriculture has delegated to standards that are under consideration Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton the Administrator, Food Safety and and on recommendations for new Annex, Washington, DC 20250±3700. Inspection Service (FSIS), the standards. The delegate, in conjunction Please state that your comments refer to responsibility to inform the public of with the responsible agency, will take Codex and, if your comments relate to the SPS standard-setting activities of the comments received into account in specific Codex committees, please Codex. The FSIS Administrator has, in participating in the consideration of the identify those committees in your turn, assigned the responsibility for standards and in proposing matters to comments and submit a copy of your informing the public to the Office of be considered by Codex. comments to the delegate from that U.S. Codex Alimentarius, located in The United States delegate will particular committee. All comments FSIS. facilitate public participation in the submitted will be available for public Codex was created in 1962 by two United States Government activities inspection in the Docket Clerk's Office U.N. organizations, the Food and relating to Codex Alimentarius. The between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the United States delegate will maintain a Monday through Friday. World Health Organization (WHO). list of individuals, groups, and FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Codex is the major international organizations that have expressed an Patrick J. Clerkin, Director, U.S. Codex organization for encouraging fair interest in the activities of the Codex Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, international trade in food and committees and will disseminate Food Safety and Inspection Service, protecting the health and economic information regarding United States Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 100 / Friday, May 23, 1997 / Notices 28417 delegation activities to interested for the Elaboration of Codex Limits (MRLs) for veterinary drugs. A Codex parties. This information will include Standards and Related Texts Maximum Limit for Residues of Veterinary the current status of each agenda item, Appendix 5. Nature of Codex Standards Drugs (MRLVD) is the maximum concentration of residue resulting from the the United States Government's position Done at Washington, DC on: May 15, 1997. or preliminary position on the agenda use of a veterinary drug (expressed in mg/kg Thomas J. Billy, or ug/kg on a fresh weight basis) that is items, and the time and place of Administrator. recommended by the Codex Alimentarius planning meetings and debriefing Commission to be legally permitted or meetings following Codex committee Codex Alimentarius Commission and recognized as acceptable in or on a food. sessions. Please notify the appropriate Executive Committee An MRLVD is based on the type and U.S. delegate or the Office of U.S. Codex The Codex Alimentarius Commission will amount of residue considered to be without Alimentarius, West End Court Building, hold its Twenty-second Session on June 23± any toxicological hazard for human health as Room 311, Washington, DC 20250± 28, 1997 in Geneva, Switzerland. At that time expressed by the Acceptable Daily Intake 3700, if you would like to receive it will consider the standards, codes of (ADI)*, or on the basis of a temporary ADI information about specific committees. practice, and related matters brought to its that utilizes an additional safety factor. An MRLVD also takes into account other The information provided below attention by the general subject committees, commodity committees, and member relevant public health risks as well as food describes the status of Codex standard- delegations. technological aspects. setting activities by the Codex Prior to the Commission meeting, the When establishing an MRLVD, Committees for the two year period from Executive Committee will meet on June 19± consideration is also given to residues that June 1, 1996 to June 1, 1998. In 20 in Geneva. It is composed of the occur in food of plant origin and/or the addition, the following information is chairperson, vice-chairperson and six further environment. Furthermore, the MRLVD may included with this Federal Register members elected from the Commission, one be reduced to be consistent with good notice: from each of the following geographic practices in the use of veterinary drugs and regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America to the extent that practical analytical Appendix 1. List of U.S. Codex Officials and the Caribbean, North America, and methods are available. (includes U.S. delegates and South-West Pacific. The committee may *Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI): An alternate delegates). make proposals to the Commission regarding estimate by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Appendix 2. Timetable of Codex the general orientation and program work of Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) of the Sessions (June 1996 through June the Commission, study special problems and amount of a veterinary drug, expressed on a 1998) help implement the program as approved by body weight basis, that can be ingested daily Appendix 3. Definitions