[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 17, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22643-22645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-09994]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service

[Docket No. FSIS-2017-0019]


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission

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), is sponsoring a public meeting on 
June 26, 2017. The objective of the public meeting is to provide 
information and receive public comments on agenda items and draft 
United States (U.S.) positions to be discussed at the 40th Session of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) taking place in Geneva, 
Switzerland, between July 17 and 22, 2017. The Administrator of the 
Food Safety and Inspection Service and Acting Deputy Under Secretary, 
Office of Food Safety, recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 40th 
Session of the CAC and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 26, 2017, from 
1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA), Jamie L. Whitten Building, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 107-A, Washington, DC 20250. Documents 
related to the 40th Session of the CAC will be accessible via the 
Internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/.
    The U.S. Delegate to the 40th Session of the CAC 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 40th 
Session of the CAC by conference call, please use the call-in-number 
and the participant code listed below:
    Call-in-Number: 1-888-844-9904.

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    The participant code will be posted on the Web page below: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/international-affairs/us-codex-alimentarius/public-meetings.

Registration

    Attendees may register to attend the public meeting by emailing 
[email protected] by June 22, 2017. Early registration is 
encouraged as it will expedite entry into the building. The meeting 
will be held in a Federal building. Attendees should bring photo 
identification and plan for adequate time to pass through security 
screening systems. Attendees who are not able to attend the meeting in 
person, but wish to participate may do so by phone, as discussed above.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    About the 40th session of the CAC: U.S. Codex Office, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 4861, Washington, DC 20250, Telephone: 
(202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: [email protected].
    About the meeting: Jasmine Curtis, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW., Room 4865, Washington, DC 20250, Telephone: 
(202) 205-7760, Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The CAC 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, the 
CAC seeks to protect the health of consumers and ensure fair practices 
in the food trade; promotes coordination of all food standards work 
undertaken by international governmental and non-governmental 
organizations; determines priorities and initiates and guides the 
preparation of draft standards through and with the aid of appropriate 
organizations; finalizes the standards elaborated and publishes them in 
a Codex Alimentarius (food code) either as regional or worldwide 
standards, together with international standards already finalized by 
other bodies, wherever this is practicable; and amends published 
standards, as appropriate, in the light of new developments.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 40th Session of the CAC 
will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Reports of the 72nd and 73rd Sessions of the Executive 
Committee;
     Reports of the FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees;
     Amendments to the Procedural Manual;
     Final adoption of Codex texts;
     Adoption of Codex texts at Step 5;
     Revocation of Codex texts;
     Proposals for New Work;
     Discontinuation of Work;
     Amendments to Codex Standards and Related Texts;
     Regular Review of Codex Work Management (Electronic 
Working Groups);
     Matters arising from the Reports of the Commission, the 
Executive Committee, and the Subsidiary Bodies;
     Codex Budgetary and Financial Matters;
     FAO/WHO Scientific Support to Codex: Report on Activities 
and Future Work;
     FAO/WHO Scientific Support to Codex: Budgetary and 
Financial Matters;
     Matters Arising from FAO and WHO: Policy and Related 
Matters;
     Matter Arising from FAO and WHO: Capacity Development 
Activities;
     Relations between the CAC and other International 
Organizations;
     Election of the Chairperson, Vice-Chairpersons, and 
Members of the Executive Committee elected on a Geographical Basis and 
Appointment of the Coordinators;
     Designation of Countries responsible for Appointing the 
Chairpersons of Codex Subsidiary Bodies; and
     Other Business.
    Each issue listed will be fully described in documents distributed, 
or to be distributed, by the Secretariat before the Meeting. Members of 
the public may access or request copies of these documents (see 
ADDRESSES).

Public Meeting

    At the June 26, 2017, 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 40th 
Session of the CAC (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 40th Session of the CAC.

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

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(Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET 
Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC, on May 12, 2017.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2017-09994 Filed 5-16-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P