[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 71 (Thursday, April 12, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 15785-15786]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-07586]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

[Docket No. FSIS-2018-0008]


Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs; Codex Alimentarius 
Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission

AGENCY: Office of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs (TFAA), 
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is sponsoring a public meeting 
on May 31, 2018. 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 41st Session of 
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) taking place in Rome, Italy, 
between July 2 and 6, 2018. The Administrator of the Food Safety and 
Inspection Service and the Deputy Under Secretary for Food Safety 
recognize the importance of providing interested parties the 
opportunity to obtain background information on the 41st Session of the 
CAC and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, May 31, 2018, 1:00 
p.m.-4:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place at the USDA, Jamie L. 
Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 107-A, Washington, 
DC 20250.
    Documents related to the 41st 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 41st 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 41st 
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.
    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 May 29, 2018. Early registration is encouraged 
as it will expedite entry into the building. The meeting will convene 
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.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 
    About the 41st session of the CAC contact: 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 public meeting contact: 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

    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 41st Session of the CAC 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Report by the chairperson on the 74th and 75th Sessions of the 
Executive Committee
 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
 Matters arising from the reports of the Commission, the 
Executive Committee and Subsidiary Bodies
 Committees working by correspondence and pilot for a Committee 
on Standards Advancement
 Regular Review of Codex Work Management: Report 2017-2018
 Codex Budgetary and Financial Matters: Report 2016-2017 and 
Progress 2018-2019
 Codex Budgetary and Financial Matters: Proposal 2020-2021

[[Page 15786]]

 FAO/WHO Scientific Support to Codex: activities, budgetary and 
financial matters
 Matters arising from FAO and WHO
 Report of the side event on FAO and WHO capacity development 
activities
 Report of the side event on the Codex Trust Fund (CTF2)
 Report of the discussion panels with International Government 
Organizations (IGOs) and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
 Election of the chairperson and vice chairpersons
 Designation of countries responsible for appointing the 
chairpersons of Codex subsidiary bodies
 Any 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 May 31, 2018, 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 41st 
Session of the CAC (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 41st 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 (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact 
USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).

    Done at Washington, DC.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2018-07586 Filed 4-11-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P