USDA proposes EU additions to Newcastle Disease free list

The US Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to amend the regulations governing the importation of animals and animal products by recognising 25 member states of the European Union as the APHIS-defined European Union poultry trade region and adding it to the list of regions APHIS considers to be free of Newcastle disease.

APHIS also determined that the region meets requirements for being considered free of highly pathogenic avian influenza. In addition, AHIS is proposing to establish requirements governing the importation of live birds and poultry, including hatching eggs, and poultry meat and products from the APHIS-defined European Union poultry trade region, and to update avian disease terms and definitions.

APHIS is taking these actions based on a risk evaluation prepared by APHIS in which the agency determined that the proposed region meets the agency’s requirements for being considered free of Newcastle disease and highly pathogenic avian influenza. These actions facilitate the importation of live birds and poultry, and poultry meat and products, from the APHIS-defined European Union poultry trade region while protecting the United States from communicable avian diseases.

This proposed rule was published in July 19 Federal Register and consideration will be given to comments received on or before Sept. 19, 2011. Comments can be submitted via this link.

Source: APHIS