[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 562 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 562

 Reaffirming the position of the Government of the United States that 
the sanitary and phytosanitary guidelines for vitamin and mineral food 
supplements adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its Twenty-
   eighth Session from July 4-9, 2005, are not binding on the United 
                                States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 17, 2005

Mr. Bradley of New Hampshire submitted the following resolution; which 
          was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Reaffirming the position of the Government of the United States that 
the sanitary and phytosanitary guidelines for vitamin and mineral food 
supplements adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its Twenty-
   eighth Session from July 4-9, 2005, are not binding on the United 
                                States.

Whereas the United States is a party to the Agreement on the Application of 
        Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, as described in section 101(d)(3) 
        of the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (19 U.S.C. 3511(d)(3)), and annexed 
        to the Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization entered into 
        on April 15, 1994;
Whereas sanitary and phytosanitary measures relate to protecting human, animal, 
        and plant life and health from the risk of plant- or animal-borne pests 
        or diseases, or additives, contaminates, toxins, or disease-causing 
        organisms in foods, beverages, or feedstuffs;
Whereas the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures 
        establishes general requirements and procedures to ensure that sanitary 
        and phytosanitary measures are intended to protect against the risk 
        asserted rather than to serve as a disguised trade barrier;
Whereas Article 3 of the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
        Phytosanitary Measures recognizes that member countries of the World 
        Trade Organization (WTO) often apply different sanitary and 
        phytosanitary measures and calls for each WTO member country to use 
        relevant international standards as a basis for establishing its 
        sanitary and phytosanitary measures and thus to harmonize the different 
        sanitary and phytosanitary measures on as wide a basis as possible to 
        facilitate trade;
Whereas the Codex Alimentarius Commission is an international sanitary and 
        phytosanitary standard-setting organization of the Food and Agriculture 
        Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) of the United 
        Nations;
Whereas at the Twenty-eighth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission from 
        July 4-9, 2005, in Rome, the Commission adopted sanitary and 
        phytosanitary guidelines for vitamin and mineral food supplements;
Whereas guidelines adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission are not binding 
        on any country unless the country chooses to incorporate the guidelines 
        into their laws or regulations; and
Whereas the Government of the United States has not incorporated, and has 
        indicated that it will not incorporate, into its laws or regulations the 
        sanitary and phytosanitary guidelines for vitamin and mineral food 
        supplements adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives reaffirms the position 
of the Government of the United States that the sanitary and 
phytosanitary guidelines for vitamin and mineral food supplements 
adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission at its Twenty-eighth 
Session from July 4-9, 2005, are not binding on the United States.
                                 <all>