*EPF506 05/14/2004
Text: U.S., Japan To Begin Talks To Resume Trade in Beef
(Goal is to resolve issues around "mad cow" disease) (400)

The United States and Japan will begin a series of technical working group meetings in Tokyo May 18 with the objective of resuming beef trade between the two countries in the summer, according to a May 12 press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At issue is bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow" disease, the threat of which halted U.S. beef shipments to Japan.

Among the topics the upcoming talks will focus on are testing for BSE; surveillance for the disease; and the implementation of bans on certain types of feed that have been implicated in causing the disease in cattle, the USDA said.

Following is the text of the press release:

(begin text)

UNITED STATES AND JAPAN TO HOLD FIRST BSE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP MEETING

WASHINGTON, May 12, 2004 - The United States and Japan will begin a series of technical working group meetings next week with the objective of resuming beef trade between the two countries in the summer. The first meeting will be held May 18 and 19 in Tokyo with subsequent meetings to be held in June and July.

On April 23-24, a multi-agency U.S. Government delegation (including USDA, FDA, State and USTR) held consultations with the Government of Japan in Tokyo on the resumption of beef trade. Those discussions resulted in an agreement to form a joint technical working group to address several key issues, including:

-- The definition of BSE and methods of testing;
-- The definition of Specified Risk Materials (SRMs) and the method for removal;
-- Appropriate surveillance; and
-- Appropriate feed ban implementation, among others.

The completion of the working group's three meetings will provide policy level officials with a full review of the technical information.

Members of the U.S. technical group include:

-- Dr. Peter Fernandez, Associate Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
-- Dr. George Gray, Executive Director, Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Harvard University - School of Public Health
-- Dr. William James, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Office of International Affairs, Food Safety and Inspection Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
-- Dr. Daniel McChesney, Director, Office of Surveillance and Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
-- Dr. Gary Smith, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences, Colorado State University

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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