[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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