[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 43 (Friday, March 5, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10205-10206]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-4693]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2010-0002]


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

AGENCY: Office for Food Safety, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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

SUMMARY: The Office for Food Safety, U.S. Department of Agriculture 
(USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting on March 23, 2010. 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 26th session of the Codex Committee on General 
Principles (CCGP) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which 
will be held in Paris, France, April 12-16, 2010. The Office for Food 
Safety recognizes the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 26th Session of the 
CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 23, 2010, 
from 1:30-4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at USDA, Room 107-A, Jamie 
L. Whitten Building, 1200 Independence Ave SW., Washington, DC 20250. 
Documents related to the 26th Session of the CCGP will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.net/web/current.jsp?lang=en.
    The U.S. Delegate to the 26th Session of the CCGP, Karen Stuck, 
USDA, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), invites interested 
U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically to the following 
e-mail address: [email protected].
    Registration:
    If you would like to participate in the public meeting for the 26th 
Session of the CCGP by teleconference, please use the following call in 
number and passcode:
    Call In Number: 1-866-692-3158.
    Passcode: 5986642.
    For Further Information about the 26th Session of the CCGP Contact: 
Barbara McNiff, USDA, 1400 Independence Ave SW., Room 4861, Washington, 
DC 20250. Phone: (202) 690-4719, Fax: (202) 720-3157, E-mail: 
[email protected].
    For Further Information about the Public Meeting Contact: Kenneth 
Lowery, 1400 Independence Ave SW., Room 4861, Washington, DC 20250. 
Phone: (202) 690-4042, Fax: (202) 720-3157, E-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    The Codex was established in 1963 by two United Nations 
organizations, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World 
Health Organization. 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 CCGP deals with rules and procedures referred to it by the 
Codex including the establishment of principles which define the 
purpose and scope of the Codex and the nature of Codex standards. The 
development of mechanisms to address any economic impact statements is 
also the responsibility of the CCGP.
    The CCGP is hosted by France.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 26th Session of the CCGP 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Draft Revised Code of Ethics for International Trade in 
Foods
     Proposal to amend the Guidelines to Chairpersons of Codex 
Committees and ad hoc Intergovernmental Task Forces
     Review of the Risk Analysis Policies of Codex Committees
     Definition of the Term ``Competent Authority''
     Proposed Amendment to the Terms of Reference of the 
Committee
     Discussion Paper on the Development of Joint Codex and 
World Organization for Animal Health Standards

[[Page 10206]]

     Discussion Paper on Co-Hosting of Codex Sessions
     Distribution of Documents and Length and Content of 
Reports
     Structure and Presentation of the Procedural Manual
    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 copies of these documents (see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 23, 2010, 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 U.S. Delegate, Karen Stuck for 
the 26th Session of the CCGP (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should 
state that they relate to activities of the 26th Session of the CCGP.

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 online through the FSIS Web page located 
at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations/2010_Notices_Index/.
    FSIS will also 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, 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 groups, 
consumer interest groups, health professionals, and other individuals 
who have asked to be included. The Update is also 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 electronic 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/e-mail_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 accounts.

    Done at Washington, DC on March 1, 2010.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2010-4693 Filed 3-4-10; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P