[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 239 (Tuesday, December 14, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69685-69686]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-32286]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-061N]


Codex Alimentarius: Eighth Session of the Codex Committee on Food 
Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service.

ACTION: Notice of public meetings and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, and the 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of 
Agriculture; and the Food and Drug Administration, United States 
Department of Health and Human Services, are sponsoring two public 
meetings to provide information and receive public comments on issues 
that will be discussed at the CCFICS, which will be held in Adelaide, 
Australia, February 21-25, 2000. The Departments recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain 
background information on the Eighth Session of the CCFICS and to 
address items on the Agenda.

DATES: The first public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, 
2000, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. to review the technical content of 
the various documents coming before the Session. The second public 
meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 10, 2000, from 1:00 p.m. to 
4:00 p.m. to review the U.S. Government positions on the agenda items.

ADDRESSES: Both public meetings will be held in Room 1409, Federal 
Office Building 8, 200 C Street SW, Washington, DC (Metro Rail Stop is 
Federal Center SW)
    Send an original and two copies of comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, 
Docket #99-061N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700. Comments should be submitted by February 4, 
2000. 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: 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. 
Persons requiring a sign language interpreter or other special 
accommodations should notify Mr. Clerkin at the above numbers.

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 Food Import and Export Inspection and 
Certification Systems was established to develop principles and 
guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification 
systems to facilitate trade through harmonization and to supply safe, 
high quality foods to consumers. Recognition of quality assurance 
systems through the development of guidelines will help ensure that 
foods conform to the essential requirements.
    Issues to be Discussed at both Public Meetings
     Proposed Draft Guidelines/Recommendations for Food Import 
Control Systems
     Proposed Draft Guidelines and Criteria for Official 
Certificate Formats and Rules Relating to the Production and Issuance 
of Certificates
     Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Utilization and 
Promotion of Quality Assurance Systems
     Discussion Paper on the Judgement of Equivalence on 
Sanitary Measures Associated with Food Inspection and Certification 
Systems
     Discussion Paper on the Judgement on Equivalence of 
Technical Regulations Associated with Food Inspection and Certification 
Systems

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to better ensure 
that minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of 
these public meetings, FSIS will announce them and provide copies of 
this Federal Register publication in the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS 
provides a weekly FSIS Constituent Update, which is communicated via 
fax to over 300 organizations and individuals. In addition, the update 
is available on line through the FSIS web page located at http://
www.fsis.usda.gov. The update is used to provide information regarding 
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS 
public meetings, recalls, and any other types of information that could 
affect or would be of interest to our constituents/stakeholders. The 
constituent fax list consists of industry, trade, and farm groups, 
consumer interest groups, allied health professionals, scientific 
professionals, and other individuals that have requested to be 
included. Through these various channels, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader, more diverse audience. For more 
information and to be added to the constituent fax list, fax your 
request to the Congressional and Public Affairs Office, at (202) 720-
5704.


[[Page 69686]]


    Done at Washington, DC, on; December 6, 1999.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex.
[FR Doc. 99-32286 Filed 12-13-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P