ISSUE

OBJECTIVE

FIRST STEPS

COMMENT

Animal health issues that effect trade

Develop a list of priority regulatory issues at the federal and provincial/state levels that affect trade

Mechanism or approach remains to be identified

Health issues identified at Lethbridge meeting could be a starting point; possible impact of ND 1276 was raised as a possible item to be addressed under this heading

New generation cooperatives - regional opportunities

Exchange of information among states and provinces on approaches to supporting new cooperative business forms

Meeting among state and provincial institutions charged with promoting farm sector enterprises is being organized with ND and Manitoba in the lead

Meeting will take place in Manitoba; ND will work with APUC and Manitoba with MRAC; attendance details (agencies, state/provincial officials, state/provincial legislators) to be worked out

Trucking and rail harmonization

Develop ag sector support for more rapid progress toward regional and national harmonization

NASDA (Patrick Atagi) will provide WG chairs with summary of issues currently being discussed by NASDA and NAFTA's transportation subcommittees

Durum wheat marketing

Meeting at the Commissioner/Minister level to consider establishing a northern plains durum marketing pool

SK will continue to work on meeting plans under the leadership of Minister Serby.

Invitations will be extended to interested U.S. states and interested Canadian provinces, and contact will be made with the CWB. Current proposal is for a leadership level meeting including only those states and provinces currently interested in the possibility of cooperation in this area; might be held in conjunction with a Northern Plains producer meeting in Winnipeg Jan. 30  Feb. 1 (ND, SD, MN, MA, SK)

GMOs

Interchange on policy issues in this area

U.S. and Canada will assist Mexico (Jalisco lead on the issue) in organizing a forum designed to inform the Mexican public and interest groups on this issue

Jalisco has initiated a planning process; conference will be a two-day (Thursday/Friday) event, taking place in Guadalajara, either in mid-February or mid-March. Event will be invitation-only, with an focus on informing Mexican officials and opinion-makers

Disease classification of blue tongue

Present a common position to the OIE on how blue tongue is listed

Alberta will provide a completed copy of the assessment, once it the assessment has been cleared through CFIA for transmission to APHIS; MT will send a request to APHIS that all states involved in the Restricted Cattle Feeder Entry Program participate in the APHIS blue tongue survey

Assessment was not received; Canada had moved the completion target date back to September; the document will then be provided to state veterinarians through APHIS

Potato seed certification

Resolve issue of U.S. lab recognition

Sec. Takasugi wrote to CCA co-chairs on this issue, with respect to all seed

At the meeting, a formal request was made to the CCA for development of an interim policy on seed certification until the current system is changed; in his Oct. 11 letter to Fred Dailey, FAS Administrator Galvin said that this proposal had been forwarded to the Canadians, who agreed to consider it.

wine trade opportunities

Develop two-way trade in live hogs

MB and MN will continue to take the lead on this item; CCA reported on the current situation during PSAG session in Saskatoon

Support for cattle and sheep producers

Develop a side-by-side comparison which could be shared with producers in industry meetings

MB and Utah will take the lead in this project, and expand the request to the CCA to include measurement criteria for domestic supports

USDA staff report that a response to the Peck/Lingenfelter letter of last April has been drafted as is (somewhere) in the clearance process; it will, presumably, address the request for feedback on this issue

Ongoing bilateral exchanges

Keep the WG informed about provincial/state producer and staff meetings

Each state/province will be responsible for providing written reports on future cross-border meetings to WG chairs for distribution

These exchanges are becoming common enough that this should be a regular agenda item for future WG meetings

Nursery and ornamental trade

Request action from respective federal governments on points raised in meeting in Vancouver

BC and OR will remain the leads on this item; Mr. Ward has written a transmittal letter to the CCA co-chairs asking for feedback on suggestions from Vancouver meeting

This topic was also mentioned in the Dailey letter; Galvin letter (Oct. 11) says that results of the Vancouver discussion have been forwarded to the proper offices for their comments.

Pesticide registration and labeling policies

Establishment of a common labeling system

Request an interim policy from EPA for development of a Canada/US labeling system; lead state and or province not identified for action on this item

Joint registration is already an option, and Canadian officials have indicated that they give preferential treatment to applications which are made to both countries at once; common labeling ought to remove barriers to cross-border trade; this subject was raised in the Dailey letter to CCA co-chairs

Pilot project approaches to regulatory change

Propagation of solutions modeled on the Restricted Cattle Feeder Entry program

Discussion in Saskatoon focused on the potential of starting with regional pilots to pave the way for national solutions

Cross-border cattle trade

Remove barriers to trade in cattle and products

VT will coordinate a states/provinces regional meeting to address cattle and related product trade

Meeting was initially proposed for late fall or early winter; a draft proposal from VT to the Canadian side (Ontario) is still pending

Regional food safety meeting

Pennsylvania proposes to host a Northeast/eastern province meeting of senior food safety officials

PA is checking with neighboring states and provinces to see if a proposed Jan. 5 date for this meeting is workable

Focus will be on voluntary, incentive-based programs that take food safety all the way back to the producer level, with presentations on innovative state and provincial programs

Cattle identification systems

Harmonization or inter-operability

Saskatchewan will take the lead in providing information about Canada's current program for circulation to US WG members

Clarification needed on the potential impacts of the Canadian National Identification System on exports of U.S. feeder cattle; at the next meeting, WG would like a presentation on specifics of new system and how it might affect bilateral cattle trade

Working relationship with CCA

An effective modus operandi

Response to Dailey letter on this topic from CCA co-chairs was received (Galvin letter of Oct. 11)

Past FPATPC Provincial Co-Chair Clay Serby agreed to raise the matter in a future Federal/Provincial Ag Ministers meeting, but this has not taken place; Galvin Oct. 11 letter said that a formal response to April letter to CCA chairs would be sent shortly has not been received as of 12/6.