[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 48 (Friday, March 12, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Page 12281]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-6128]


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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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  Federal Register / Vol. 64, No. 48 / Friday, March 12, 1999 / 
Notices  

[[Page 12281]]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-015N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex): Meeting of the Codex 
Committee on General Principles

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States 
Department of Agriculture; the Food and Drug Administration, United 
States Department of Health and Human Services; and the Environmental 
Protection Agency are sponsoring a public meeting on March 17, 1999, to 
provide information and receive public comments on agenda items that 
will be discussed at the Fourteenth Session of the General Principles 
Committee of Codex, which will be held in Paris, France, April 19-23, 
1999. Attendees at the March 17 meeting will hear brief descriptions of 
the issues and will have the opportunity to pose questions and offer 
comments. The co-sponsors of the March 17 public meeting recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain 
background information on the Fourteenth Session of the General 
Principles Committee of Codex and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, 1999, 
from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 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 20250-3700. If a sign language interpreter 
or other special accommodation is necessary, contact Ms. Edith Kennard 
by telephone at (202) 720-5261. Submit one original and two copies of 
comments to the FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket No. 99-015N, Room 102, Cotton 
Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments 
submitted in response to this notice will be considered part of the 
public record and will be available for viewing in the Docket Room 
between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick J. Clerkin, Associate U.S. 
Manager for Codex, U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection 
Service, Room 4861, South Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700, Phone: (202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157.

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 correctly labeled.
    The Codex Committee on General Principles was established to deal 
with such procedural and general matters as are referred to by the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission. Such matters have included the 
establishment of the general principles which define the purpose and 
scope of Codex; 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 March 17, 1999, public meeting:

1. Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
Codex Committees (including special treatment of developing countries)
2. Risk analysis
    a. Definitions
    b. Working principles for risk analysis
3. Measures intended to facilitate consensus
4. Review of the general principles of Codex (revision of the 
acceptance procedure)
5. Review of the status of Codex texts
    a. Framework of the technical barriers to trade agreement
    b. Discussion paper on the application of Codex advisory texts
6. Review of the statements of principle on the role of science and the 
extent to which other factors are taken into account
    a. Role of science and other factors in relation to risk analysis
    b. Application in the case of bovine somatotropins
7. Revision of the procedural manual
    a. Draft principles concerning the participation of international 
non-governmental organizations
    b. Core functions of Codex contact points
8. Application of Rule VII of the Commission's rules of procedure 
(attendance of members at sessions of the subsidiary bodies)

    Done at Washington, DC, on March 5, 1999.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex.
[FR Doc. 99-6128 Filed 3-11-99; 8:45 am]
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