Meetings: Codex Alimentarius Commission— Executive Committee,

[Federal Register: May 24, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 99)]

[Notices]

[Page 27955-27956]

From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

[DOCID:fr24my99-30]

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 99-030N]

Codex Alimentarius Commission: Sessions of the Executive Committee and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comment.

SUMMARY: The Office of Under Secretary for Food Safety United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting on June 2, 1999. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on agenda items to be discussed at the Forty- sixth Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the Twenty-third Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, which will be held in Rome, Italy, from June 24-25, 1999, and June 28-July 3, 1999, respectively.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 2, 1999, from 9 AM to 12:30 PM.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC. Send an original and two copies of comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket #99-030N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. 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: F. Edward Scarbrough, Ph.D., U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius, Room 4861, South Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 14th and Independence

[[Page 27956]]

Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250; Telephone (202) 205-7760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. Codex is the principal 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. Codex meets biennially. The Executive Committee serves as the executive body of Codex between meetings.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

The following items will be discussed during the public meeting on June 2, 1999.

1. Election of Officers of the Commission and Appointment of Regional Coordinators.

2. Reports on the Forty-fifth and Forty-sixth Sessions of the Executive Committee. (These include proposals to the Commission regarding the general orientation and program of work of the Commission.)

3. Report of the financial situation of the Joint FAO/WHO

   Food Standards Programme for 1998/99and 2000/01.

4. Consideration of the Draft Medium-term Plan for 1998 to 2002. (This plan identifies work to be conducted by the Commission by program area and describes the medium-term objectives of that work.)

5. Consumers' involvement in the work of the Commission.

6. Principles of Risk Analysis.

7. Consideration of Amendments to the Procedure Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. (These are matters that pertain to the operations of the Commission.)

8. Consideration of Draft Standards and Related Texts. (These are items being considered at Step 5 or Step 8 of the Codex Procedure for the elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts.)

9. Consideration of Proposals to Elaborate New Standards and/or Related Texts.

10. Matters Arising from Reports of Codex Committees.

11. Designation of Host Governments for Codex Committees.

    Public Meeting

    The public meeting is scheduled for June 2, 1999, in Room 107A, Jamie L. Whitten Building, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC. Attendees will hear brief descriptions of the issues and proposed U.S. positions, and will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Comments also may be sent to the FSIS Docket Room (see ADDRESSES). Please state that your comments relate to Codex activities and specify which issues your comments address.

    Done at Washington, DC on May 17, 1999. F. Edward Scarbrough, U.S. Manager for Codex.

    [FR Doc. 99-12881Filed5-21-99; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P