[Federal Register Volume 72, Number 103 (Wednesday, May 30, 2007)]
[Notices]
[Pages 29943-29944]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E7-10326]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2007-0017]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission

AGENCY: Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting on 
June 5, 2007. The objective of the public meeting is to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft 
United States positions that will be discussed at the Thirtieth Session 
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will be held in Rome, 
Italy, July 2-7, 2007. The Under Secretary for Food Safety recognizes 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 30th Session of CAC and to address 
items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 5, 2007, 1-4 
p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107-A, Jamie L. 
Whitten Building, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 
20250. Documents related to the 30th Session of CAC will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/current.asp.
    The U.S. Manager for Codex, F. Edward Scarbrough, Ph.D., U.S. Codex 
Office, Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA, invites U.S. 
interested parties to submit their comments electronically to the 
following e-mail address [email protected].
    For Further Information About the 30th Session of the CAC Contact: 
F. Edward Scarbrough, Ph.D., U.S. Manager for Codex, Telephone: (202) 
720-2057, Fax: (202) 720-3157; e-mail: [email protected].
    For Further Information about the Public Meeting Contact: Jasmine 
Matthews, Program Analyst, U.S. Codex Office, Telephone: (202) 205-
7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, e-mail: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) was established in 1963 
by two United Nations organizations, the Food and Agriculture 
Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO). 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 protect the health of 
consumers and ensure that fair practices are used in trade.
    The Codex Alimentarius Commission is responsible for making 
proposals to the Directors-General of FAO and WHO on all matters 
pertaining to the implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards 
Programme, the purpose of which is:
    (a) Protecting the health of the consumers and ensuring fair 
practices in the food trade;
    (b) promoting coordination of all food standards work undertaken by 
international governmental and non-governmental organizations;
    (c) determining priorities and initiating and guiding the 
preparation of draft standards through and with the aid of appropriate 
organizations;
    (d) finalizing standards elaborated under (c) above and publishing 
them in a Codex Alimentarius either as regional or world wide 
standards, and
    (e) Amending published standards, after appropriate survey in the 
light of developments.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 30th Session of the CAC 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Report by the Chairperson on the 59th Session of the 
Executive Committee
     Reports of FAO/WHO Regional Coordinating Committees
     Amendments to the Procedural Manual
     Amendments to the Rules of Procedure
     Other amendments to the Procedural Manual
     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)
     Proposed Draft Standards and Related Texts at Step 5
     Revocation of existing Codex Standards and Related Texts
     Proposals for the Elaboration of new Standards and Related 
Texts and for the Discontinuation of Work
     Financial and Budgetary Matters--Proposed Budget 2008/2009
     Proposed Schedule of Codex Meetings 2007-2009
     Strategic Planning of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
     Implementation of the Joint FAO/WHO Evaluation of the 
Codex Alimentarius and other FAO and WHO Work on Food Standards
     General Implementation Status
     Review of Codex Committee Structure and Mandates of Codex 
Committees and Task Forces
     Matters arising from the Reports of Codex Committees and 
Task Forces
     Relations between the Codex Alimentarius Commission and 
other International Organizations
     FAO/WHO Project and Trust Fund for Enhanced Participation 
in Codex
     Other Matters arising from FAO and WHO
     Appointment of Regional Coordinators
     Election of Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons and other 
Members of the Executive Committee
     Designation of Countries responsible for Appointing the 
Chairpersons of Codex Committees and Task Forces
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat prior to the Meeting. Members 
of the public may access or request copies of these documents (see For 
Further Information About The 30th Session of the CAC Contact).

Public Meeting

    At the June 5, 2007 public meeting, draft U.S. positions on the 
agenda items will be described and discussed, and attendees will have 
the opportunity to pose questions and offer comments. Written comments 
may be offered at the meeting or sent to the U.S. Manager for Codex, F. 
Edward Scarbrough (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 30th Session of the CAC.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, in an effort to ensure that 
minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are aware of this 
notice, FSIS will announce it on-line through the FSIS Web page located 
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2007_Notices_Index/. FSIS 
also will

[[Page 29944]]

make copies of this Federal Register publication available through the 
FSIS Constituent Update, which is used to provide information regarding 
FSIS policies, procedures, regulations, Federal Register notices, FSIS 
public meetings, recalls, and other types of information that could 
affect or would be of interest to constituents and stakeholders. The 
update is communicated via Listserv, a free electronic mail 
subscription service for industry, trade and farm groups, consumer 
interest groups, allied health professionals, and other individuals who 
have asked to be included. The update is available on the FSIS Web 
page. Through the Listserv and Web page, FSIS is able to provide 
information to a much broader and more diverse audience. In addition, 
FSIS offers an e-mail subscription service which provides automatic and 
customized access to selected food safety news and information. This 
service is available at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_and_events/email_subscription/. Options range from recalls to export information 
to regulations, directives and notices.
    Customers can add or delete subscriptions themselves and have the 
option to password protect their account.

     Done at Washington, DC on May 24, 2007.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex.
 [FR Doc. E7-10326 Filed 5-29-07; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P