APHIS to Hold Public Meeting on Proposed Design & Development of ePermits System With Regard to Plants & Plant Products
The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has issued a notice announcing that it will hold a public meeting on August 24, 2005 in Riverdale, MD to introduce, and obtain feedback on, one portion of its proposed ePermits system.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
According to APHIS, this meeting will focus on applications and permits for transiting and importing plants and plant products, including propagative material, fruits and vegetables, logs and lumber, and material listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Public Meeting to Provide Information, Seek Comments on ePermits System
APHIS explains that the ePermits system is a Web-based user interface that supports the electronic filing, processing, and tracking of applications for APHIS permits, including plant and plant product, plant pest, animal and animal product, and biotechnology permits.
APHIS states that ePermits is scheduled to become available on a limited basis in the fall of 2005, with a series of expansions to follow. When fully implemented, the system will allow applicants to apply for, track the status of, and receive permits using the Internet.
In order to provide an opportunity for applicants for various plant-related permits to review and comment on the software that has been developed for the ePermits system, APHIS is organizing this public meeting to demonstrate the capabilities of the online interface and the permit application data entry process.
APHIS will also provide information on short- and long-term plans for the ePermits system and how to register as an ePermits user.
(APHIS explains that persons wishing to import regulated plants and plant products or transit them through the U.S. must apply for a permit by submitting certain Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) forms depending on the product at issue. See APHIS' notice for specific forms required for importing certain plants and plant products.)
-due to space considerations, APHIS is limiting attendance to 50 people and encourages interested parties to preregister at www.aphis.usda.gov/ppq/permits/stakeholders/workshop2/index.html or by contacting the APHIS contact listed below.
APHIS Contact - Gwendolyn Burnett (301) 734-8758
APHIS Notice (D/N 05-058-1, FR Pub 07/29/05) available at http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/01jan20051800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2005/pdf/05-15092.pdf