[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 28 (Friday, February 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7125-7126]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-3060]



[[Page 7125]]

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2012-0003]


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

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sponsoring a public meeting on 
March 28, 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 27th 
session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), which will be held in Paris, 
France, April 2-6, 2012. The Under Secretary for Food Safety recognizes 
the importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to 
obtain background information on the 27th session of the CCGP and to 
address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held at the Jamie L. Whitten 
Building, USDA, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, 
DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 27th session of CCGP will be accessible 
via the World Wide Web at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/.
    Karen Stuck, U.S. Delegate to the 27th session of the CCGP, invites 
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 27th 
session of the CCGP by conference call, please use the call-in number 
and participant code listed below:
    Call-in Number: 1 (888) 858-2144.
    Participant Code: 6208658.
    For Further Information About the 27th Session of the CCGP Contact: 
Karen Stuck, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 
4861, Washington, DC 20250, telephone: (202) 205-7760, fax: (202) 720-
3157 email: [email protected].
    For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact: Barbara 
McNiff, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250. Telephone: +1 (202) 205-7760, fax: +1 (202) 720-
3157, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    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 fair practices in the food 
trade.
    The CCGP is responsible for dealing with procedural and general 
matters referred to it by Codex, for proposing amendments to the Codex 
Procedural Manual, and for reviewing and endorsing procedural 
provisions and texts forwarded by Codex committees for inclusion in the 
Procedural Manual.
    The Committee is hosted by France.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the agenda for the 27th session of the CCGP 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters Referred to the CCGP.
     Issues Surrounding Codex Standards Held at Step 8.
     Mechanism for Examining Economic Impact Statements.
     Review of the Risk Analysis Policies of Codex Committees.
     Definition of the Term ``Hazard''.
     Proposed Amendment to the Terms of Reference of the 
Committee.
     Development of Joint Codex-World Organization for Animal 
Health (OIE) Standards.
     Distribution of Codex Documents and Length and Content of 
Meeting Reports.
    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 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 28, 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 the U.S. Delegate for the 27th 
session of the CCGP, Karen Stuck (see ADDRESSES). Written comments 
should state that they relate to activities of the 27th session of the 
CCGP.

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.


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    Done at Washington, DC on February 6, 2012.
Karen Stuck,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2012-3060 Filed 2-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P