[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 88 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19900-19901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-09276]



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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission

AGENCY: U.S. Codex Office, USDA.

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 June 
21, 2019. 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 42nd Session of the of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 8-
12, 2019. The U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius and the Under 
Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs recognize the 
importance of providing interested parties the opportunity to obtain 
background information on the 42nd Session of the CAC and to address 
items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for June 21, 2019, from 1:00-
4:00 p.m. EDT.

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 42nd Session of the CAC will be accessible via the 
internet at the following address:http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/en/. Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Delegate to the 
42nd 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 42nd Session of the CAC by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number: 1-888-844-9904 and participant code 5126092#.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by June 18, 2019. 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 42nd Session of the CAC, contact 
U.S. Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South 
Agriculture Building, Washington, DC 20250, Telephone:(202) 205-7760, 
Fax: (202) 720-3157, Email: [email protected].
    For further information about the public meeting Contact: U.S. 
Codex Office, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture 
Building, Washington, DC 20250. Phone 202 720 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 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; promotes coordination of all food standards work undertaken by 
international governmental and nongovernmental organizations; 
determines priorities, initiates, and guides the preparation of draft 
standards; finalizes the standards elaborated and publishes them in a 
Codex Alimentarius (food code) either as regional or worldwide 
standards, 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 42nd Session of the CAC 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Report by the Chairperson on the 76th and 77th 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 the Codex Standards and Related Texts
 Matters arising from the Reports of the Commission, the 
Executive Committee, and the Subsidiary Bodies
 Codex Strategic Plan 2020-2025
 Codex Budgetary and Financial Matters: Progress Report 2018-
2019
 Codex Budgetary and Financial Matters: Proposal 2020-2021
 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)
 Election of the Chairperson and Vice-Chairpersons and Members 
of the Executive Committee Elected on Geographical Basis
 Designation of Countries Responsible for Appointing the 
Chairpersons of Codex Subsidiary Bodies
 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 21, 2019, 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 42nd 
Session of the CAC (see ADDRESSES). Written comments should state that 
they relate to activities of the 42nd Session of the CAC.

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 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 subscription 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.

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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 April 19, 2019.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2019-09276 Filed 5-6-19; 8:45 am]
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