Change in Disease Status of Greece Because of BSE

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