USDA Seeks to Amend Swine Import Rules

WASHINGTON - Apr 11/05 - SNS -- The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is seeking to amend its regulations for importing swine and swine products into the United States by applying uniform requirements to the European Union (EU-15).

This proposed regulation applies to the 15 member states comprising the European Union prior to its expansion on May 1, 2004. The EU-15 is made up of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

APHIS is proposing to place import prohibitions on all swine and swine products into the United States from any region in any member state of the EU-15 that has been quarantined by the EU due to an outbreak of classical swine fever (CSF). Quarantined areas would be referred to as restricted zones and will not be defined in an interim rule.

This proposal will change the means by which restrictions are applied. In addition, under the proposal, restrictions due to a CSF outbreak in the EU-15 would be implemented and released by an administrative process rather than a regulatory process.

In the case of an outbreak of CSF in domestic swine, the importation prohibitions would remain in effect for six months following the depopulation of swine and the cleaning and disinfection of the last infected premise in the restricted zone even if a veterinary authority of the EU-15 member state lifts its designation of the area as a restricted zone before the six months have elapsed. Restrictions in place because of infected wild boar will mimic EU restrictions.

Following the six-month import prohibition, breeding swine and swine products may enter the United States if a veterinary official from the EU-15 member state certifies that all import prohibitions have been met.

These changes are necessary to help prevent the introduction of CSF into the United States while increasing our responsiveness to changes in the CSF situation in the EU.

CSF is a highly contagious and fatal disease of swine. It was eradicated from the United States in 1976 after a 16-year effort, at a cost of about $140 million to the USDA and individual states. If CSF were reintroduced into the United States, it would cause major production losses and hamper U.S. pork exports.

This proposed rule is published in the April 8 Federal Register. APHIS documents published in the Federal Register are available on the internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ppd/rad/webrepor.html.