[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53858-53859]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-17079]


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 Notices
                                                 Federal Register
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
 and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings, 
 delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency 
 statements of organization and functions are examples of documents 
 appearing in this section.
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  Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 152 / Wednesday, August 9, 2023 / 
Notices  

[[Page 53858]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: 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 
September 14, 2023, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. EDT. The objective of the 
public meeting is to provide information and receive public comments on 
agenda items and draft U.S. positions to be discussed at the 33rd 
Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) of the 
Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC), which will meet in Bordeaux, 
France from October 2-6, 2023. 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 33rd Session of the 
CCGP and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for September 14, 2023, from 
2:00-4:00 p.m. EDT.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 33rd Session of the CCGP will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CCGP&session=33.
    Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Delegate to the 33rd Session of CCGP, 
invites interested U.S. parties to submit their comments electronically 
to the following email address: [email protected].
    Registration: Attendees may register to attend the public meeting 
at the following link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItceCtqToiHQmKptH0CtUn35LTAXhR7Hc. After registering, you will 
receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the 
meeting.
    For further information about the 33rd session of CCGP, contact 
U.S. Delegate, Mary Frances Lowe, U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius, 
Office of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural 
Affairs, U.S. Department of Agriculture, (202) 205-7760, 
[email protected]. You may also contact the U.S. Codex Office 
by email at: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background

    The Codex Alimentarius Commission 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 Terms of Reference for the Codex Committee on General 
Principles 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 33rd Session of CCGP will 
be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters referred by CAC and other subsidiary bodies
     Information on activities of FAO and WHO relevant to the 
work of CCGP
     Codex Procedural Manual: presentation of new format and 
observations on consistency and superseded content
     Procedural Manual: Proposed update to the Guide to the 
Procedure for the Amendment and Revision of Codex Standards and Related 
text
     Review and possible amendments to the rules of procedure 
on Sessions of the Commission
     Review and possible amendment of the Principles concerning 
the participation of international non-governmental organizations in 
the work of the CAC
     Other business and future work

Public Meeting

    At the public meeting on September 14, 2023, 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 Mary Frances Lowe, 
U.S. Delegate to the 33rd Session of CCGP, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they 
relate to activities of the 33rd Session of 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 
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/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

[[Page 53859]]

may be accessed online at https://www.usda.gov/oascr/filing-program-discrimination-complaint-usda-customer, 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 August 4, 2023.
Mary Frances Lowe,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2023-17079 Filed 8-8-23; 8:45 am]
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