Recognition of Animal Disease Status of Regions in the European Union

We are proposing to amend the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products to recognize a region in the European Union as a region in which hog cholera is not known to exist, and from which breeding swine, swine semen, and pork and pork products may be imported into the United States under certain conditions. Additionally, we are proposing to recognize Greece as free of foot-and- mouth disease and swine vesicular disease, and to recognize eight Regions in Italy as free of swine vesicular disease. These proposed actions are based on a request from the European Commission's Directorate General for Agriculture and on our analysis of the supporting documentation supplied by the European Commission and individual Member States. These proposed actions would relieve some restrictions on the importation into the United States of certain animals and animal products from those regions. However, because of the status of those regions with respect to other diseases, and, in some cases, because of other factors that could result in an increased risk of introducing animal diseases into the United States, the importation of animals and animal products into the United States from those regions would continue to be subject to certain restrictions. We invite you to comment on this docket. We also invite you to comment on the related risk assessments.