Recognition of Animal Disease Status of Regions in the European Union

We are amending the regulations concerning the importation of animals and animal products to recognize a region in the European Union as a region in which hog cholera (classical swine fever) is not known to exist, and from which breeding swine, swine semen, and pork and pork products may be imported into the United States under certain conditions, in the absence of restrictions associated with other foreign animal diseases of swine. Additionally, we are recognizing Greece and four Regions in Italy as free of swine vesicular disease. These actions are based on a request from the European Commission's (EC's) Directorate General for Agriculture and on our analysis of the supporting documentation supplied by the EC and individual Member States. These actions will relieve some restrictions on the importation into the United States of certain animals and animal products from those regions. However, because of the status of those regions with respect to other diseases, and, in some cases, because of other factors that could otherwise result in a risk of introducing animal diseases into the United States, the importation of animals and animal products into the United States from those regions will continue to be subject to certain restrictions.