Change in Disease Status of Germany, Italy, and Spain Because of BSE

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that added Germany, Italy, and Spain to the list of regions where bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) exists because the disease had been detected in native-born animals in those regions. Germany, Italy, and Spain had already been listed among the regions that present an undue risk of introducing BSE into the United States, so the effect of the interim rule was a continued restriction on the importation of ruminants that have been in Germany, Italy, or Spain and meat, meat products, and certain other products of ruminants that have been in Germany, Italy, or Spain. The interim rule was necessary in order to update the disease status of Germany, Italy, and Spain regarding BSE.