[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 109 (Friday, June 6, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33905-33906]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-14300]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-019N]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 26th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (Codex)

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 (USDA) is sponsoring a public meeting 
on June 12, 2003. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information 
and receive public comments on agenda items that will be discussed at 
the Twenty-sixth Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission which 
will be held in Rome, Italy from June 30 to July 7, 2003. The Under 
Secretary recognizes the importance of providing interested parties 
with information about the Codex Alimentarius Commission.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 12, 2003, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107A, Whitten 
Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Smithsonian Metro Stop), 
Washington, DC 20250.
    If you have comments, please send an original and two copies to: 
FSIS Docket Clerk, Docket 03-019N, 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.
    The Provisional Agenda for the 26th Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission is as follows:

Part I: Introduction
    1. Adoption of the Agenda
    2. Report by the Chairperson on the 49th, 50th and 52nd Sessions 
of the Executive Committee
    3. Reports of FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committees
Part II: Procedural Matters
    4. Amendments to the Procedural Manual
    (a) Amendments to the Rules of Procedure
    (b) Other amendments to the Procedural Manual
Part III: Codex Standards and Related Texts
    5. Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 8 of the Procedure 
(including those submitted at Step 5 with a recommendation to omit 
Steps 6 and 7 and those submitted at Step 5 of the Accelerated 
Procedure)
    6. Proposed Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 5
    7. Withdrawal or revocation of existing Codex Standards and 
Related Texts
    8. Proposals for the elaboration of new Standards and Related 
Texts
Part IV: Policy and General Matters
    9. Risk Analysis Policies of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
    10. Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the Codex Alimentarius and other 
FAO and WHO Work on Food Standards
    11. FAO/WHO Trust Fund for Participation of Developing Countries 
in Codex Standard-Setting
    12. Other Matters arising from FAO and WHO
    13. Matters arising from the reports of Codex Committees and 
Task Forces
Part V: Programme and Budgetary Matters
    14. Financial and Budgetary Matters 2002/2003 and Proposed 
Budget 2004/2005
    15. Proposed Schedule of Codex Meetings 2003-2005
Part VI: Elections and Appointments
    16. Election of Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons and Election 
of Members of the Executive Committee
    17. Appointment of Regional Coordinators
    18. Designation of Countries for Appointing the Chairpersons of 
Codex Committees and Task Forces
Part VII: Other Matters
    19. Other Business
    20. Adoption of the Report

Public Meeting

    The public meeting is scheduled on Thursday, June 12th in Room 
107A, Whitten Building, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20250. Attendees will hear 
brief descriptions of the issues and will have the opportunity to pose 
questions and offer comments.

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,

[[Page 33906]]

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 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 June 3, 2003.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 03-14300 Filed 6-5-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P