Food Law News - FAO/WHO/WTO/Codex - 2004

8–12 November 2004

CODEX - Committee on General Principles (21st Extraordinary Session), Paris, France

The summary and conclusions of the 21st (Extraordinary) Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles are as follows:

Matters for adoption by the Commission:

The Committee:

• endorsed and agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Risk Analysis Principles Applied by the Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (para. 24, Appendix II) and the Draft CCFAC Policy for Exposure Assessment of Contaminants and Toxins in Foods or Food Groups (para. 25, Appendix III);
• agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Revised Criteria for the Establishment of Work Priorities (para. 36, Appendix IV);
• agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Guidelines on Physical Working Groups and the Draft Guidelines on Electronic Working Groups (paras. 47 and 54, Appendices V and VI) ;
• agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Revised Principles concerning the Participation of International Non-Governmental Organizations in the Work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (para. 81, Appendix VII);
• agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Guidelines for Cooperation with International Intergovernmental Organizations (para. 104, Appendix VIII);
• agreed to forward to the Commission the Draft Amendment to the Rules of Procedure on the Right to Address the Chair (para. 109, Appendix IX).

Other Matters of Interest to the Commission:

The Committee:

• agreed to seek the guidance of the Commission on whether and how the Commission sould pursue the consideration of the interpretation of the term “delegate” under Rule IV.1 of the Rules of Procedure (para. 132);
• agreed to inform the Commission of its discussions on co-chairmanship (paras. 56-59); facilitators (paras. 60-61); and webcasting of the sessions of the Executive Committee (paras. 62-69);
• agreed to consider further at its next session the amendments to abolish the provisions concerning acceptance of Codex standards (para. 122);
• agreed to consider further the clarification of the duration of the term of the Members of the Executive Committee at its next session (para. 117).