[Federal Register: October 24, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 206)]
[Notices]
[Page 60904-60905]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr24oc03-30]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 03-036N]
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on
General Principles
AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), are
sponsoring a public meeting on October 27, 2003. The objective of the
public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on
agenda items and draft United States' positions that will be discussed
at the 19th (Extraordinary) Session of the Codex Committee on General
Principles (CCGP) to be held in Paris, France, November 17-21, 2003.
The Under Secretary for Food Safety and FDA recognize the importance of
providing interested parties with the opportunity to obtain background
information on the 19th (Extraordinary) Session of CCGP and to address
items on the agenda.
DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 27, 2003
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107A, JLW Building,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Avenue, Washington,
DC. To receive copies of the Codex documents pertaining to the agenda
items for the 19th (Extraordinary) CCGP session, contact the FSIS
Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and
Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW.,
Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents will also be accessible via
the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net.
If you would like to submit comments on one
or more agenda items, please send them to the FSIS Docket Clerk and
reference Docket 03-036N. All comments submitted in response
to this notice will be available for public inspection in the Docket
Clerk's Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ed Scarbrough, U.S. Manager for Codex,
U.S. Codex Office, FSIS, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 1400
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250, Telephone (202) 205-
7760; Fax: (202) 720-3157. Persons requiring a sign language
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Dr.
Scarbrough at the above number.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations,
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health
Organization (WHO). Codex is the major international organization for
encouraging fair international trade in food and protecting the health
and economic interests of consumers. Through adoption of food
standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines developed by its
committees, and by promoting their adoption and implementation by
governments, Codex seeks to ensure that the world's food supply is
sound, wholesome, free from adulteration, and correctly labeled. The
Codex Committee on General Principles was established to deal with such
procedural and general matters as are referred to it by the Codex
Alimentarius Commission. Such matters have included the establishment
of the General Principles that define the purpose and scope of the
Codex Alimentarius, the nature of Codex standards and the forms of
acceptance by countries of Codex standards; the development of
Guidelines for Codex Committees; the development of a mechanism for
examining any economic impact statements submitted by governments
concerning possible implications for their economies of some of the
individual standards or some of the provisions thereof; and the
establishment of a Code of Ethics for the International Trade in Food.
The Committee is hosted by the government of France.
Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting
Items on the Provisional Agenda will be discussed at the public
meeting.
Provisional Agenda
Agenda Item 1
Adoption of the Agenda CX/GP 03/19/1
Agenda Item 2
Matter Referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, including the
Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and
WHO Work on Food Standards CX/GP 03/19/2
Agenda Item 3
(a) Proposed Amendments to the Rules of Procedure, including the
Structure and Functions of the Executive Committee CX/GP 03/19/3
(b) Proposed Amendment to Rule VII.5 CX/GP 03/19/3 Add. 2
(c) Consideration of the Status of Observers in the Executive
Committee CX/GP 03/19/3 Add.2
Agenda Item 4
Processes for Standards Management (including the Critical Review):
(a) Revision of the Criteria for the Establishment of Work
Priorities CX/GP 03/19/4
(b) Processes for Standards Management (including the review of the
Elaboration Procedures) CX/GP 03/19/4 Add. 1
Agenda Item 5
Review of the Principles concerning the Participation of
International Non-Governmental Organizations in the Work of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission CX/GP 03/19/5
Agenda Item 6
Review of the Guidelines for Codex Committees
(a) advice to host countries (including criteria for the selection
of chairpersons) CX/GP /03/19/6
(b) conduct of meetings CX/GP 03/19/6 Add. 1
Agenda Item 7
Other proposals to facilitate standard development (other than
Standard management Process): Review of the Guidelines for Codex
Committees and other additional text
CX/GP 03/19/7
Public Meeting
At the public meeting, the issues and draft United States'
positions on the issues will be described and discussed, and attendees
will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments.
Comments may be sent to the FSIS Docket Room (see ADDRESSES). In
addition, they may be sent electronically to the U.S. Delegate (see
ADDRESSES). Please state that your comments relate to CCGP activities
and specify which issues your comments address.
Additional Public Notification
Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this
notice, FSIS will announce it and make copies of this Federal Register
publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS
provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated via
Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. In addition, the update
is available on-line through the FSIS Web page located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov.
The update is used to provide information regarding
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS
public meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could
affect or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The
constituent Listserv consists of industry, trade, and farm groups,
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be
included. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to provide
information to a much broader, more diverse audience.
For more information contact the Congressional and Public Affairs
Office, at (202) 720-9113. To be added to the free e-mail subscription
service (Listserv) go to the ``Constituent Update'' page on the FSIS
Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm. Click on the
``Subscribe to the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out
and submit the form.
Done at Washington, DC, on October 20, 2003.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 03-26817 Filed 10-23-03; 8:45 am]