. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/286
30 May 2000
(00-2186)
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:  Imported fruits and vegetables
4. Title and number of pages of the notified document:  Irradiation Phytosanitary
Treatment of Imported Fruits and Vegetables (13 pages)
5. Description of content:  APHIS is proposing to establish regulations providing for use of
irradiation as a phytosanitary treatment for fruits and vegetables imported into the United
States. The irradiation treatment would provide protection against fruit flies and the mangoseed weevil. This proposal would provide an alternative to the currently approved
treatments (various fumigation, cold, and heat treatments, and systems approaches
employing techniques such as greenhouse growing) against fruit flies and the mango seed
weevil in fruits and vegetables.
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:  APHIS is proposing this action in accordance
with Article 6, Paragraph 1 of the Intern ational Plant Protection Convention (IPPC).
8. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available: 65 FR 34113,
26 May 2000 (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/286
Page 2
11. Final date for comments:  25 July 2000
Agency or authority designated to handle  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 requestto 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 1027
1400 Independence Avenue, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250
Phone (202) 720-2239
Fax (202) 690-0677
E-mail Address: ofsts@fas.usda.gov