[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 11 (Thursday, January 16, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2696-2697]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-00590]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Committee Meeting of the Codex Committee on General 
Principles

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 
February 21, 2020. 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 32nd Session of 
the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission, in Bordeaux, France, March 23-27, 2020. 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 32nd Session of the CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for February 21, 2020, from 
1:00-4:00 EST.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place in Meeting Room 107-A of 
the Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20250. 
Documents related to the 32nd Session of the CCGP will be accessible 
via the internet at the following address: http://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/en/.
    Ms. Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Delegate to the 32nd Session of the 
CCGP, 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 32nd Session of the CCGP by conference call, please use the 
call-in-number: 888-844-9904 and participant code 5126092.
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
by emailing [email protected] by February 19, 2020. 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 32nd Session of the CCGP, contact 
U.S. Delegate, Ms. Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Manager for Codex 
Alimentarius, U.S. Codex Office, U.S. Department of Agriculture, 1400 
Independence Avenue SW, Room 4861, South Agriculture Building, 
Washington, DC 20250; phone: +1 (202) 205-7760; 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) 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 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.
    The Terms of Reference of the Codex Committee on General Principles 
(CCGP) are to deal with such procedural and general matters as are 
referred to it by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, including:
    (a) The review or endorsement of procedural provisions/texts 
forwarded by other subsidiary bodies for inclusion in the Procedural 
Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission; and
    (b) The consideration and recommendation of other amendments to the 
Procedural Manual.
    The CCGP is hosted by France. The United States attends the CCGP as 
a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items on the Agenda for the 32nd Session of the CCGP 
will be discussed during the public meeting:

 Matters referred to the committee

[[Page 2697]]

 Information on activities of FAO and WHO relevant to the work 
of CCGP
 Procedural guidance for committees working by correspondence
 Revisions/amendments to Codex texts
 Format and structure of the Codex Procedural Manual
 Discussion paper on monitoring the use of Codex Standards
 Discussion paper on monitoring Codex results in the Context of 
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
 Other business

Public Meeting

    At the February 21, 2020 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 Ms. Mary Frances 
Lowe, U.S. Delegate for the 32nd Session of the CCGP (see ADDRESSES). 
Written comments should state that they relate to activities of the 
32nd Session of the CCGP.

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: https://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.

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 https://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 December 26, 2019.
Mary Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2020-00590 Filed 1-15-20; 8:45 am]
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