Change in Disease Status of Austria Because of BSE

We are adopting as a final rule, without change, an interim rule that amended the regulations by adding Austria to the list of regions where bovine spongiform encephalopathy exists because the disease had been detected in a native-born animal in that region. Austria had already been listed among the regions that present an undue risk of introducing bovine spongiform encephalopathy into the United States, so the effect of the interim rule was a continued restriction on the importation of ruminants, meat, meat products, and certain other products of ruminants that have been in Austria. The interim rule was necessary in order to update the disease status of Austria regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy.