[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 190 (Monday, October 1, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49355-49356]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-21326]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance (TFAMR)

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, Department of Agriculture.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: The U.S Codex Office is sponsoring a public meeting on 
November 8, 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 6th Session of 
the Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial Resistance 
(TFAMR) of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), in Busan, 
Republic of Korea on December 10-14, 2018. The U.S. Manager for Codex 
Alimentarius and the Under Secretary, Office of Trade and Foreign 
Agricultural Affairs, recognize the importance of providing interested 
parties the opportunity to obtain background information on the 6th 
Session of the TFAMR and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 8, 2018 
from 2:00 p.m. to 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 6th Session of the TFAMR will be accessible via the 
internet at the following address: http://www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en.
    Donald A. Prater, U.S. Delegate to the 6th Session of the TFAMR, 
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 6th Session of the TFAMR by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number: 1-888-844-9904. The participant code will be posted 
here: http://www.usda.gov/codex.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by November 1, 2018. Early 
registration is encouraged because it will expedite entry into the 
building. The meeting will take place in a Federal building. Attendees 
should bring photo identification and plan for adequate time to pass 
through the security screening systems. Attendees who are not able to 
attend the meeting in person, but who wish to participate, may do so by 
phone, as discussed above.
    For Further Information about the 6th Session of the TFAMR Contact: 
Donald A. Prater, DVM, Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine, FDA, 
#10903, New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993. Phone: (301) 
348-3007.
    Email: [email protected].
    For Further Information about the Public Meeting Contact: Kenneth 
Lowery, U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, 
South Agriculture Building, Washington, DC 20250. Phone: (202) 690-
4042, 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 fair practices in the 
food trade.
    The TFAMR is responsible for:
    (1) Reviewing and revising, as appropriate, the Code of Practice to 
Minimize and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (CAC/RCP 61-2005) to 
address the entire food chain, in line with the mandate of Codex; and
    (2) considering the development of Guidance on Integrated 
Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, taking into account the 
guidance developed by the WHO Advisory Group on Integrated Surveillance 
of Antimicrobial Resistance (AGISAR) and relevant World Organisation 
for Animal Health (OIE) documents.
    The objective of the Task Force is to develop science-based 
guidance on the management of foodborne antimicrobial resistance, 
taking full account of the WHO Global Action Plan on Antimicrobial 
Resistance, in particular Objectives 3 and 4, the work and standards of 
relevant international organizations, such as FAO, WHO, and OIE, and 
the One-Health approach, to ensure members have the necessary guidance 
to enable coherent management of antimicrobial resistance along the 
food chain. The Task Force is expected to complete its work within 
three (or a maximum of four) sessions.
    The TFAMR is hosted by Korea. The United States attends TFAMR as a 
member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 6th Session of the TFAMR 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and its 
subsidiary bodies
 Matters arising from FAO and WHO including the report of the 
Joint FAO/WHO Expert Meeting in collaboration with OIE on Antimicrobial 
Resistance: Role of the Environment, Crops and Biocides
 Matters arising from OIE and other relevant international 
organizations
 Proposed draft revision of the Code of Practice to Minimize 
and Contain Antimicrobial Resistance (CXC 61-2005)
    [cir] Comments in reply to CXC 61-2005
 Proposed draft Guidelines on Integrated Surveillance of 
Antimicrobial Resistance
    [cir] Comments in reply to proposed draft Guidelines
 Other business
 Date and Place of next session.

Public Meeting

    At the November 8, 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 Donald A. Prater, 
U.S. Delegate for the 6th Session of the TFMAR (see ADDRESSES). Written 
comments should state that they relate to activities of the 6th Session 
of the TFAMR.

Additional Public Notification

    Public awareness of all segments of rulemaking and policy 
development is important. Consequently, the U.S. Codex Office will 
announce this Federal Register publication on-line through the USDA 
Codex web page located at: http://www.usda.gov/codex, a link that also 
offers an email subscription service providing access to information 
related to Codex. Customers can add or delete their 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/

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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 September 27, 2018.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2018-21326 Filed 9-28-18; 8:45 am]
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