. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/SPS/N/USA/720
12 June 2003
(03-3054)
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:   Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national schedules
deposited with the WTO; ICS numbers should be provided in addition, where
applicable):  Paper reviewing procedural guidance for policy development in the Office of
Pesticide Programs.
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the extent relevant or practicable:  Any
US trading partners
5. Title, language and number of pages of the notified document:  Pesticides: Procedures
Concerning the Development, Modification, and Implementation of Policy Guidance
Documents;  Notice of Availability (available in English, 3 pages).
6. Description of content:  EPA is announcing the availability for comment of a paper
discussing procedural guidance for policy development in the Office of Pesticide Programs
(OPP).  The procedures have two goals:  to increase public participation in the
development, modification and implementation of the OPP policy guidance documents;and to clarify that while such documents are non-binding policy statements and not legally
binding rules, they nonetheless play an important role in helping to ensure a consistent
starting point for OPP decision making.
7. Objective and rationale:  [  X ] food safety, [   ] animal health, [   ] plant protection,
[ X ] protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [   ] protect territory from other
damage from pests
8. International standard, gu ideline or recommendation:
[   ] Codex Alimentarius Commission, [   ] Office International des Epizooties,
[   ] International Plant Prot ection Convention, [ X ] None
If an international standard , guideline or recommendation exists, give the appropriate
reference and briefly identify deviations:
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  DOCID:
fr12mr03-95, Federal Register:  12 March 2003 (Volume 68, Number 48)
Pages 11856-11858;
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/2003/March/Day-12/p5916.htm; Available in
English
10. Proposed date of adoption:  not applicableG/SPS/N/USA/720
Page 2
11. Proposed date of entry into force:  not applicable
12. Final date for comments:  12 May 2003
Agency or authority designated to handl e comments:  [ X ] National notification
authority, [   ] National enquiry point, or address, fax number and E-mail address (if
available) of other body:
Public Information and Records Integrity Branch (PIRIB), Information Resources and
Services Division (7502C), Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP), Environmental Protection
Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW., Washington, DC 20460.  opp-docket@epa.gov
Note:  Identify docket name "OPP-2003-0054" in subject line of your response.
13. Texts available from:  [   ] National notification authority,  [ X ] National enquiry point,
or address, fax number and E-mail address (if available) of other body:
Mr. Bill Janis, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Stop 1027, Washington, DC  20250.
Tel (202) 720-9047, (202) 720-0677, fstsd@usda.gov