[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 26 (Tuesday, February 9, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 6301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-3116]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 26 / Tuesday, February 9, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 6301]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-010N]


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.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Under Secretary for Food Safety; United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration 
(FDA); United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and 
the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are sponsoring a public 
meeting on February 11, 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 Thursday, February 11, 1999, 
from 9:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Arlington Hilton, 950 
N. Stafford Street (Ballston Metro stop), Arlington, VA. Send an 
original and two copies of comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket #99-
010N, 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 Avenue SW, Washington, 
DC 20250; Telephone (202) 205-7760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission (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 the biennial meetings.

Issues To be Discussed at the February 11, 1999, Public Meeting

    1. Report on the Forty-fifth Session of the Executive Committee. 
(This includes proposals to the Commission regarding the general 
orientation and program of work of the Commission.)
    2. Reports by Coordinators on Regional Activities. (Coordinators of 
each of the five Regional Coordinating Committees report on regional 
concerns about food standards and food control.)
    3. 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.)
    4. Consideration of Proposals to Elaborate New Standards and/or 
Related Texts and Other Matters Arising from Reports of Codex 
Committees. (Items 5 through 9 are issues currently being considered in 
the Codex Committee on General Principles. They pertain to matters 
affecting the operations of the Commission.)
    5. Measures Intended to Facilitate Consensus Affecting the 
Operations of Codex.
    6. Review of the General Principles of Codex.
    A. Revision of the Acceptance Procedure.
    B. Consideration of special treatment of developing Countries.
    7. Review of the Status and Objectives of Codex Texts.
    8. Review of the Statements of Principle on the Role of Science and 
the Extent to Which other Factors are Taken into Account--Application 
in the Case of BST and PST.
    9. Procedures concerning the participation of International Non-
governmental Organizations.
    10. Designation of Host Governments for Codex Committees.
    11. Welcome public comments on any matters believed to be 
appropriate by Codex.

Public Meeting

    The public meeting is scheduled for February 11, 1999, at the 
Arlington Hilton, 950 N. Stafford Street, (Ballston Metro stop) 
Arlington, VA. Attendees will hear brief descriptions of the issues 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 February 3, 1999.
Patrick Clerkin,
Director, U.S. Codex Staff.
[FR Doc. 99-3116 Filed 2-4-99; 1:49 pm]
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