[Background]
As the Plant Protection Act has been amended to prohibit the domestic distribution of prohibited articles, etc., and to mandate airport and port facility managers to provide plant quarantine information, this amendment aims to stipulate matters delegated by the Act and matters necessary for its enforcement. These include the details of the disposal of prohibited articles, etc. distributed domestically and the methods for airport and port facility managers to provide plant quarantine information.
[Main Points]
A. Establishment of new provisions to prevent the domestic distribution of illegally imported plants (Draft Article 19-3, Articles 23-27, Attached Table 8, and Attached Forms No. 11 and 12)
- Specifies the types of measures for prohibited articles, etc., in domestic distribution as either disposal or collection followed by disposal, and stipulates that relevant provisions shall apply mutatis mutandis regarding the issuance of action orders, implementation periods, disposal locations, and verification of collection and disposal.B. Establishment of new provisions on the obligation of airport and port facility managers to provide plant quarantine information (Draft Article 48-2)
- Specifically defines the methods of providing information so that airport and port facility managers can inform travelers, etc., of plant quarantine information. These methods include displaying information on electronic boards installed in airport and port facilities, making in-facility announcements, and placing or distributing informational materials.C. Relaxation of the criteria for administrative dispositions on the import/export timber heat treatment business (Draft Attached Table 10)
- Adds the condition "without justifiable grounds" to the clause "cases where the business has not been operated for one year or more" when the head of a plant quarantine agency orders the cancellation of registration for an import/export timber heat treatment business.D. Expansion of targets exempt from the attachment and transmission of quarantine certificates upon disposal by public sale, etc. (Draft Article 10)
- Expands the entities executing disposal by public sale, etc., in cases where a quarantine certificate does not need to be attached or transmitted, from the current "customs offices" to "state agencies including customs offices."E. Adjustment of import-prohibited plants, prohibited regions, and prohibited pests (Draft Attached Table 1)
- Reorganizes the lists of import-prohibited plants, prohibited regions, and prohibited pests by adding or deleting items in accordance with pest risk assessment results and the implementation or lifting of import restriction measures.F. Establishment of new provisions prohibiting the arbitrary removal of items for which quarantine has not been completed (Draft Attached Tables 5 and 6)
- Prohibits items for which quarantine has not been completed from being removed outside designated quarantine locations without permission, and adds criteria for administrative dispositions, such as the suspension of functions, in the event of a violation.G. Addition of order requirements in the post-entry quarantine order (Draft Attached Form No. 7)
- Adds a requirement to the post-entry quarantine order stating that plants under post-entry quarantine cannot be propagated until the quarantine is completed.H. Correction of clauses with errors in delegation grounds (Draft Article 18-6, Attached Form No. 10-2)
