[Federal Register: July 29, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 145)]
[Notices]               
[Page 41073-41074]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29jy99-28]                         

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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Food Safety and Inspection Service
[Docket No. 99-040N]

 
Codex Alimentarius Commission: Forty-sixth Session of the 
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex) and 
Twenty-third Session of the CODEX

AGENCY: Food Safety and Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting; request for comment.

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SUMMARY: The Office of Under Secretary for Food Safety, United States 
Department of Agriculture (USDA) is sponsoring a public meeting on 
August

[[Page 41074]]

17, 1999. The purpose of this meeting is to provide information about 
decisions on issues considered at the Forty-sixth Session of the 
Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission and the 
Twenty-third Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission which were 
held in Rome, Italy June 24-25, 1999, and June 28-July 3, 1999, 
respectively, and to take comments on the future direction of U.S. 
efforts in Codex.

DATES: The public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, August 17, 1999, 
from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

ADDRESSES: The public meeting will be held in Room 107A, Jamie L. 
Whitten Building, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW, Washington, DC. 
Send an original and two copies of comments to: FSIS Docket Clerk, 
Docket #99-040N, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and 
Inspection Service, Room 102, Cotton Annex, 300 12th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20250-3700. All comments submitted in response to this 
notice will be available for public inspection in the Docket Clerk's 
Office between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: F. Edward Scarbrough, Ph.D., U.S. 
Manager for Codex Alimentarius, Room 4861, South Building, U.S. 
Department of Agriculture, 14th and Independence Avenue SW, Washington, 
DC 20250; Telephone (202) 205-7760.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    Codex was established in 1962 by two United Nations organizations, 
the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health 
Organization. Codex is the principal international organization for 
encouraging fair international trade in food and protecting the health 
and economic interests of consumers. 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 ensure that the world's food supply is 
sound, wholesome, free from adulteration, and correctly labeled. Codex 
meets biennially. The Executive Committee serves as the executive body 
of Codex between the biennial meetings.

Issues To Be Discussed at the Public Meeting

    The following items will be discussed during the public meeting on 
August 17, 1999.
    1. Election of Officers of the Commission and Appointment of 
Regional Coordinators.
    2. Report on the Forty-sixth Session of the Executive Committee.
    3. Report of the financial situation of the Joint FAO/WHO Food 
Standards Programme for 1998/99 and 2000/01.
    4. Consideration of the Draft Medium-term Plan for 1998 to 2002 
(This plan identifies work to be conducted by the Commission by program 
area and describes the medium-term objectives of that work.)
    5. Consumers' involvement in the work of the Codex Alimentarius 
Commission.
    6. Principles of Risk Analysis.
    7. Consideration of Amendments to the Procedure Manual of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission.(These are matters that pertain to the 
operations of the Commission.)
    8. Consideration of Draft Standards and Related Texts. (These are 
items considered at Step 5 or Step 8 of the Codex Procedure for the 
elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts.)
    9. Consideration of Proposals to Elaborate New Standards and/or 
Related Texts.
    10. Matters Arising from Reports of Codex Committees.
    11. Designation of Host Governments for Codex Committees.

Public Meeting

    The public meeting is scheduled for August 17, 1999, in Room 107A, 
Jamie L. Whitten Building, 12th Street and Jefferson Drive, SW, 
Washington, DC. Attendees will hear brief descriptions of the issues 
and the outcome of Commission deliberations and will have the 
opportunity to pose questions and offer comments.

    Done at Washington, DC on: July 23, 1999.
F. Edward Scarbrough,
U.S. Manager for Codex Alimentarius.
[FR Doc. 99-19422 Filed 7-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-DM-P