New Administration Orders Review of Federal Rules, but Impact on COOL Unclear...

While the Obama Administration has issued an order freezing all new and pending regulations until they can be reviewed and approved, it is not yet clear whether this order will impact either the content or the effective date of the recently published final rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL).

The final COOL rule was published January 15 in the Federal Register, and is set to take effect March 16. The White House has directed federal agencies to extend for 60 days the effective date of all new and pending regulations, but this order only appears to be mandatory for regulations that have not yet been published in the Federal Register. For regulations that have been published but have not yet taken effect, the order only requests that agencies consider a 60-day extension. The full text of the White House directive can be found online.

Some news reports suggest that USDA will delay the COOL rule in order to reconsider certain provisions - such as those regarding the commingling of livestock for slaughter and use of the mixed origin label. But until more details are provided, it is unclear whether any changes will be officially proposed. USMEF will provide an update as soon as further information becomes available.

While the Obama Administration has issued an order freezing all new and pending regulations until they can be reviewed and approved, it is not yet clear whether this order will impact either the content or the effective date of the recently published final rule on country-of-origin labeling (COOL).

The final COOL rule was published January 15 in the Federal Register, and is set to take effect March 16. The White House has directed federal agencies to extend for 60 days the effective date of all new and pending regulations, but this order only appears to be mandatory for regulations that have not yet been published in the Federal Register. For regulations that have been published but have not yet taken effect, the order only requests that agencies consider a 60-day extension. The full text of the White House directive can be found online.

Some news reports suggest that USDA will delay the COOL rule in order to reconsider certain provisions - such as those regarding the commingling of livestock for slaughter and use of the mixed origin label. But until more details are provided, it is unclear whether any changes will be officially proposed. USMEF will provide an update as soon as further information becomes available.