[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 221 (Thursday, November 14, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Page 58369]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-29310]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 96-038N]


Codex Alimentarius: Meeting of the General Principles Committee 
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), U.S. Department 
of Agriculture (USDA); the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); and the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) are sponsoring a public meeting on November 18, 
1996. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information and receive 
public comments on agenda items to be discussed at the Twelfth Session 
of the General Principles Committee of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission, which will be held in Paris, France, November 25-28, 1996.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 18, 1996, 
from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107-A, Jamie L. 
Whitten Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence 
Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20250.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Clerkin, Director, U.S. 
Codex Office, FSIS, Room 311, West End Court, 1255 22nd Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20057. Telephone (202) 418-8852; Fax: (202) 418-8865.

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 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 informatively labeled. In 
the United States, USDA, FDA, and EPA manage and carry out U.S. Codex.
    The General Principles Committee of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission was established to deal with procedural and general matters 
referred to it by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Such matters have 
included the establishment of the general principles which define the 
purpose and scope of Codex Alimentarius, the nature of Codex standards 
and the forms of acceptance by countries of Codex standards, and the 
development of guidelines for Codex committees.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following specific issues will be discussed during the November 
18, 1996, public meeting:

1. Adoption of the Agenda
2. Matters referred to the General Principles Committee of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
Codex Committees
3. Risk Analysis: Definitions, Procedures, and Principles
4. Review of the Rules of Procedure
5. Review of the Acceptance Procedure for Codex Standards in the 
perspective of the World Trade Organization's Sanitary and Phyto-
Sanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade Agreements
6. Review of the Status of Codes, Guidelines, and related texts
7. Review of the Elaboration Procedure
8. Revision of the Procedural Manual:
    (a) Guidelines for Codex Committees
    (b) Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities: Integration 
of strategic planning
    (c) Unified format of Codex documents for electronic data exchange
    (d) Relations between Commodity Committees and General Subject 
Committees
    (e) Other Aspects
9. Consumer Participation in Codex Work

    Done at Washington, DC on November 8, 1996.
Thomas J. Billy,
Administrator.
[FR Doc. 96-29310 Filed 11-12-96; 12:43 pm]
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