[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 14 (Monday, January 23, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3229-3230]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-1160]



[[Page 3229]]

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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2011-0035]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Codex Committee on Pesticide 
Residues (CCPR)

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), Food Safety and Inspection Service 
(FSIS), and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 
are sponsoring a public meeting on February 14, 2012. The objective of 
the public meeting is to provide information and receive public 
comments on agenda items and draft United States (U.S.) positions that 
will be discussed at the 44th Session of the Codex Committee on 
Pesticide Residues (CCPR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 
which will be held in Shanghai, P.R. China April 23-28, 2012. The Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and EPA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 44th Session of the CCPR and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 
from 1 p.m.-3 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at EPA, Room S-7100, One 
Potomac Yard South; 2777 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia 
22202. Documents related to the 44th Session of the CCPR will be 
accessible via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/.
    Lois Rossi, U.S. Delegate to the 44th session of the CCPR, and EPA, 
invite U.S. interested parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following email address: [email protected].

Call-In Number

    If you wish to participate in the public meeting for the 44th 
Session of the CCPR by conference call, please use the call-in numbers 
and participant codes listed below:
    United States Call in Number: 1-(866) 299-3188.
    United States Participant Code: (703) 305-6463.
    International Call in Number: 1-(706) 758-1822.
    International Participant Code: (703) 305-6463.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE 44TH SESSION OF THE CCPR CONTACT: 
    Lois Rossi, Director of Registration Division, Office of Pesticide 
Programs, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Ariel Rios Building, 
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20460, telephone: (703) 
305-5447, fax: (703) 305-6920, email: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PUBLIC MEETING CONTACT: Doreen Chen-
Moulec, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, telephone: (202) 205-7760, fax: (202) 720-3157, 
email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    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 CCPR is responsible for establishing maximum limits for 
pesticide residues in specific food items or in groups of food; 
establishing maximum limits for pesticide residues in certain animal 
feeding stuffs moving in international trade where this is justified 
for reasons of protection of human health; preparing priority lists of 
pesticides for evaluation by the Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide 
Residues (JMPR); considering methods of sampling and analysis for the 
determination of pesticide residues in food and feed; considering other 
matters in relation to the safety of food and feed containing pesticide 
residues; and establishing maximum limits for environmental and 
industrial contaminants showing chemical or other similarity to 
pesticides, in specific food items or groups of food.
    The CCPR is hosted by China.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 44th Session of the CCPR 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the CCPR by Codex and Codex Committees
     Matters of Interest Arising from FAO and WHO
     Matters of Interest Arising from Other International 
Organizations
     Report on Items of General Consideration by the 2011 JMPR
     Report on the 2011 JMPR Responses to Specific Concerns 
Raised by the CCPR
     Draft and Proposed Draft Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for 
Pesticides in Foods and Feeds at Step 7 and 4
     Pilot Project for the JMPR Recommendation of MRLs before 
National Governments or Other Regional Registration Authorities for a 
Global Joint Review of a Chemical Substance
     Update on the Pilot Project and the Progress of the 
National Global Joint Review
     Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and 
Animal Feeds at Step 7: Fruit Commodity Groups (Excluding Edible 
Flowers and Assorted Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits--Edible and 
Inedible Peel)
     Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of Foods and 
Animals at Step 7: Fruit Commodity Groups: Edible Flowers and Assorted 
Tropical and Sub-tropical Fruits Edible and Inedible Peel
     Proposed Draft Revision of the Codex Classification of 
Foods and Animal Feeds at Step 4: Selected Vegetable Commodity Groups
     Draft Principles and Guidance for the Selection of the 
Representative Commodities for the Extrapolation of MRLs for Pesticides 
for Commodity Groups at Step 7
     Discussion Paper on the Guidance to Facilitate the 
Establishment of MRLs for Pesticides for Minor Crops and Specialty 
Crops
     Revision of the Risk Analysis Principles Applied by the 
Codex Committee on Pesticide Residues
     Establishment of Codex Priority Lists of Pesticides
     Other Business and Future Work
     Discussion Paper on JMPR Resource Issues in the Provision 
of Scientific Advice to CCPR
    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 February 14, 2012, 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 Lois Rossi, U.S. 
Delegate for the 44th Session of the CCPR (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 44th 
Session of the CCPR.

[[Page 3230]]

Additional Public Notification

    FSIS will announce this notice online through the FSIS Web page 
located at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/regulations_&_policies/Federal_Register_Notices/index.asp.
    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. 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_&_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 accounts.

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

    USDA prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on 
the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, 
disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or 
family status (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs).
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication of program information (Braille, large print, and 
audiotape) should contact USDA's Target Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice 
and TTY).
    To file a written complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office 
of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue 
SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202) 720-5964 (voice and TTY). 
USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

    Done at Washington, DC, on January 17, 2012.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2012-1160 Filed 1-20-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P