[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 179 (Monday, September 16, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58349-58350]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-23491]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 02-031N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Coordinating Committee for North 
America and the South-West Pacific

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting, request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, United 
States Department of Agriculture, is sponsoring a public meeting on 
Tuesday, October 1, 2002, to provide information and receive public 
comments on agenda items that will be discussed at the Coordinating 
Committee for North America and the South-West Pacific (CCNASWP). The 
Under Secretary recognizes the importance of providing interested 
parties with information about the Coordinating Committee for North 
America and the South-West Pacific of the Codex Alimentarius Commission 
(Codex) and to address items on the Agenda for the 7th CCNASWP.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 1, 2002 
from 10 a.m. to 12 noon.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 0161 South Building, 
United States Department of Agriculture, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., 
Washington, DC. To receive copies of the documents referenced in the 
notice contact the FSIS Docket Clerk, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 
Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20250-3700. The documents will also be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp. If you have comments, please 
send an original and two copies to the FSIS Docket Clerk and reference 
Docket 02-031N. All comments submitted 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: Dr. William James, Acting Director, 
U.S. Codex Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service, Room 4861, South 
Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250, Phone: 
(202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157. Persons requiring a sign language 
interpreter or other special accommodations should notify Dr. James at 
the above number.

Supplementary Information:

Background

    Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations, 
the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health 
Organization (WHO). Codex is the major international organization for 
protecting the health and economic interests of consumers and for 
encouraging fair international trade in food. 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. In the 
United States, USDA, FDA, and EPA manage and carry out U.S. Codex 
activities.
    The Coordinating Committee for North America and the South-West 
Pacific defines the problems and needs of the region concerning food 
standards and food control. It provides within the committee contacts 
for the mutual exchange of information on proposed regulatory 
initiatives and problems arising from food control and stimulates the 
strengthening of food control infrastructures. It recommends to the 
Commission the development of world-wide standards for products of 
interest to the region, including products considered by the committee 
to have an international market potential in the future. It exercises a 
general coordinating role for the region and such other functions as 
may be entrusted to it by the Commission. It draws the attention of the 
Commission to any aspects of the Commission's work of particular 
significance to the region. The Government of Canada is hosting this 
activity.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The provisional agenda items will be discussed during the public 
meeting:
1. Adoption of the Agenda

2. Matters Referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other 
Codex Committees
3. Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and Other FAO and 
WHO work on Food Standards
4. Other Matters of Interest from FAO and WHO
5. Consideration of the Draft Medium-Term Plan 2003-2007
6. Consideration of ``Traceability/Product Tracing''
7. Capacity Building for Food Standards and Regulations
8. Information and Reports on Food Control and Food Safety Issues 
including Codex Standards
9. Consumer Participation in Food Standards Setting at the Codex and 
National Level
10. Strategic Plan for NASWP
11. Nomination of the Coordinator from among the Members of the 
Commission
12. Other Business and Future Work

    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Canadian Secretariat to the Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the October 1st public meeting, the agenda items will be 
described, discussed, and attendees will have the opportunity to pose 
questions and offer comments. Comments may also be sent to the FSIS 
Docket Room (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that they 
relate to activities of the 7th CCNASWP (Docket 02-031N).

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 this 
notice, FSIS will announce it and make copies of this Federal Register 
publication available through the FSIS Constituent Update. FSIS 
provides a weekly Constituent Update, which is communicated via 
Listserv, a free e-mail subscription service. 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

[[Page 58350]]

information that could affect or would be of interest to our 
constituents/stakeholders. The constituent Listserv 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 the Listserv and web page, 
FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more diverse 
audience.
    For more information contact the Congressional and Public Affairs 
Office, at (202) 720-9113. To be added to the free e-mail subscription 
service (Listserv) go to the ``Constituent Update'' page on the FSIS 
Web site at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oa/update/update.htm. Click on the 
``Subscribe to the Constituent Update Listserv'' link, then fill out 
and submit the form.

    Done at Washington, DC, on: September 11, 2002.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 02-23491 Filed 9-13-02; 8:45 am]
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