[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 36 (Wednesday, February 24, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 9161-9162]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-03892]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2016-0006]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Pesticide Residues

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

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) are sponsoring a public meeting on March 23, 2016. The 
objective of the public meeting is to provide information and receive 
public comments on agenda items and draft United States positions to be 
discussed at the 48th Session of the Codex Committee on Pesticide 
Residues (CCPR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), taking 
place in Chongqing, China, April 25-29, 2016. The Deputy Under 
Secretary for Food Safety and EPA recognize the importance of providing 
interested parties the opportunity to obtain background information on 
the 48th session of the CCPR and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23, 2016, 
from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the United States 
Environmental Protection Agency, Room S-7100, One Potomac Yard South; 
2777 South Crystal Drive, Arlington, Virginia, 22202.
    Documents related to the 48th Session of the CCPR are accessible 
via the Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/
    Captain David Miller, U.S. Delegate to the 48th session of the 
CCPR, and the EPA and the USDA, 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 48th 
session of the CCPR by conference call, please use the call-in-number 
and participant code listed below:
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.
    Participant Code: 512-5092.

For Further Information About the Public Meeting Contact

    For Further Information about the 48th Session of the CCPR Contact: 
Captain David Miller, Chief, Chemistry & Exposure Branch and Acting 
Chief, Toxicology & Epidemiology Branch,

[[Page 9162]]

Health Effects Division, Ariel Rios Building, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue 
NW., Washington, DC 20460, Tel: (703) 305-5352, Fax: (703) 305-5147; 
Email: [email protected].
    For Further Information about the Public Meeting Contact: Marie 
Maratos, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Room 4861, 
Washington, DC 20250, Tel: (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 Committee is hosted by China.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 48th Session of the CCPR 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred to the committee by Codex and other 
subsidiary bodies
 Matters of interest arising from FAO and WHO
 Matters of interest arising from other international 
organizations
 Draft Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for pesticides
 Proposed Draft MRLs for pesticides
 Proposed draft revisions to the Classification of Food and 
Feed
 Proposed draft Tables on examples of selection of 
representative commodities (for inclusion in the Principles and 
guidance for the selection of representative commodities for the 
extrapolation of maximum residue limits for pesticides for commodity 
groups)
 Proposed draft Guidance on performance criteria for methods of 
analysis for the determination of pesticide residues
 Establishment of Codex schedules and priority list of 
pesticides for evaluation by JMPR
 Guidance to Facilitate the Establishment of MRLs for 
Pesticides for Minor Crops including Appendix on Methodology to assign 
Crops into Consumption Categories
 Discussion paper on the impact of the relocation of Vigna spp 
under the Beans (dry) on the Codex Maximum Residue Limit CXLs for Peas 
(dry)

    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before the Committee Meeting. 
Members of the public may access or request copies of these documents 
(see ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the March 23, 2016, 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 Captain David Miller, U.S. 
Delegate for the 48th session of the CCPR (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 48th 
session of the CCPR.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, FSIS will announce this Federal 
Register publication on-line through the FSIS Web page located at: 
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/federal-register.
    FSIS also will make copies of this 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 our constituents and 
stakeholders. The Update is available on the FSIS Web page. Through the 
Web page, FSIS is able to provide information to a much broader, more 
diverse audience. In addition, FSIS offers an email 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/subscribe. Options range from recalls to export 
information, regulations, directives, and notices. Customers can add or 
delete subscriptions themselves, and have the option to password 
protect their accounts.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

    No agency, officer, or employee of the USDA shall, on the grounds 
of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual 
orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, 
income derived from a public assistance program, or political beliefs, 
exclude from participation in, deny the benefits of, or subject to 
discrimination any person in the United States under any program or 
activity conducted by the USDA.

How To File a Complaint of Discrimination

    To file a complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program 
Discrimination Complaint Form, which may be accessed online at http://www.ocio.usda.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2012/Complain_combined_6_8_12.pdf, or write a letter signed by you or your 
authorized representative.
    Send your completed complaint form or letter to USDA by mail, fax, 
or Email:
    Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of 
Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20250-9410.
    Fax: (202) 690-7442.
    Email: [email protected].
    Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for 
communication (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC on: February 19, 2016.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2016-03892 Filed 2-23-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P