[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 132 (Wednesday, July 10, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56719-56720]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-15096]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

U.S. Codex Office


Codex Alimentarius Commission: Meeting of the Codex Committee on 
Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

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 August 
21, 2024. 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 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import 
and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (CAC). The 27th Session of the CCFICS will be 
held in Cairns, Australia, from September 16-20, 2024. 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 27th 
Session of the CCFICS and to address items on the agenda.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for August 21, 2024, from 1:00-
4:00 p.m. ET.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will take place via Video Teleconference 
only. Documents related to the 27th Session of the CCFICS will be 
accessible via the internet at the following address: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/meetings/detail/en/?meeting=CCFICS&session=27.
    Dr. Michelle Catlin, U.S. Delegate to the 27th Session of the 
CCFICS, 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/vJItc-6rpzIuGPEVvN9FhCzAF2fXU6TBzKA. After registering, you will receive a 
confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
    For further information about the 27th Session of the CCFICS, 
contact U.S. Delegate, Dr. Michelle Catlin, Chief Scientist, Food 
Safety and Inspection Service, United States Department of Agriculture, 
by email at: [email protected]. For additional information 
regarding the public meeting, 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 of the Codex Committee on Food Import and 
Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) are:
    (a) to develop principles and guidelines for food import and export 
inspection and certification systems with a view to harmonizing methods 
and procedures which protect the health of consumers, ensure fair 
trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs;
    (b) to develop principles and guidelines for the application of 
measures by the competent authorities of exporting and importing 
countries to

[[Page 56720]]

provide assurance where necessary that foodstuffs comply with 
requirements, especially statutory health requirements;
    (c) to develop guidelines for the utilization, as and when 
appropriate, of quality assurance systems to ensure that foodstuffs 
conform with requirements and to promote the recognition of these 
systems in facilitating trade in food products under bilateral/
multilateral arrangements by countries;
    (d) to develop guidelines and criteria with respect to format, 
declarations and language of such official certificates as countries 
may require with a view towards international harmonization;
    (e) to make recommendations for information exchange in relation to 
food import/export control;
    (f) to consult as necessary with other international groups working 
on matters related to food inspection and certification systems; and,
    (g) to consider other matters assigned to it by the Commission in 
relation to food inspection and certification systems.
    Quality assurance means all those planned and systematic actions 
necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will 
satisfy given requirements for quality (ISO-8402 Quality--Vocabulary).
    The CCFICS is hosted by Australia. The United States attends the 
CCFICS as a member country of Codex.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items from the Provisional Agenda for the 27th 
Session of the CCFICS will be discussed during the public meeting:
     Matters arising from the Codex Alimentarius Commission and 
its subsidiary bodies
     Information on activities of the FAO and WHO and other 
international organizations relevant to the work of CCFICS
     Draft Consolidated Codex Guidelines related to Equivalence
     Draft Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Food 
Fraud
     Draft revision and updating of the Principles for 
Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool Within a Food Inspection and 
Certification System (CXG 60-2006)
     Discussion paper on guidance on appeals mechanism in the 
context of rejection of imported food
     Discussion paper on the standardization of sanitary 
requirements
     Review and update of Appendix A--the list of emerging 
global issues
     Other business

Public Meeting

    At the August 21, 2024, 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 Dr. Michelle Catlin, U.S. 
Delegate to the 27th Session of the CCFICS, at 
[email protected]. Written comments should state that they 
relate to activities of the 27th Session of the CCFICS.

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 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 July 3, 2024.
Julie A. Chao,
Deputy U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 2024-15096 Filed 7-9-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3420-3F-P