RESTRICTED
WORLD TRADE G/SPS/W/42
30November 1995
ORGANIZATION(95-3872)
Original: English Committee onSanitary andPhytosanitary Measures
STATEMENT MADE BYTHE FAO/WHO CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
ATTHE MEETING OF15-16 NOVEMBER 1995
Since theMarch 1991 Conference onFood Standards, Chemicals inFood, andFood Trade
(organized byFAO andWHO incooperation withGATT), theCodex Alimentarius Commission has
made anumber ofsignificant changes toitsworking procedures andthegeneral orientation ofitswork
tomeetthepost-Uruguay Round situation. Themostsignificant implication fortheCAC isthatits
decisions haveasemi-binding effect ongovernments. Thismeans thattheCommission isnolonger
a“gentlemen ’sclub”andthatnegotiations within theCAC aremore intense thanpreviously wasthe
case. There isalsotheriskthatserious differences ofopinion between major players intheCAC will
delay orprevent consensus being reached oncertain matters. Ontheother hand, theneedfortimeliness
inarriving atfinalCodex recommendations isnowgreater thanbefore.
TheSPSAgreement callsforfoodsafety standards tobebased onriskassessment procedures.
Thisisarelatively newapproach totraditional foodsafety standards-setting procedures, bothatnational
andinternational level, where riskstotheconsumer wereassumed tobezero. Newapproaches and
newdecision-making processes willneedtobeestablished byCodex andatthenational level.
Action taken todate
Riskassessment procedures (called “riskanalysis ”inthejargon ofquarantine andfoodcontrol)
arebeing integrated intoCodex decision-making, butrather slowly. AFAO/WHO Expert Consultation
washeldinGeneva inMarch 1995 toprovide scientific advice. Follow-up technical meetings are
foreseen onriskmanagement decision-making andonriskcommunications.
Changes havebeenmade totheCodex procedures fortheelaboration ofstandards toreduce
delays intheprocess, especially where there isconsensus onaparticular standard orother
recommendation. The21stSession oftheCAC (3-8July1995) adopted arecord number ofnewand
revised standards, guidelines andrelated texts-many ofthem established inarelatively short time
period using thenewstreamilined procedures. Fourstatements ofprinciple ontheroleofscience in
theCodex decision-making process were alsoadopted. The28thSession ofFAO Conference (20-
31October 1995) fullysupported thescience-based approach totheCodex standards-setting procedures.
The21stSession oftheCAC alsoadopted anumber ofrecommendations tostrengthen its
capability torespond tothepost-Uruguay Round environment. These areattached asAnnex 1.The
CAC isalsoreviewing itsoldprocedures on“Notification ofAcceptances ofCodex Standards ”to
bring them up-to-date withrespect totheSPS/TBT requirements. Aconsultant iscurrently working
onthisreview. Thefirstoutput willbeanassessment ofthestatus ofcountries ’acceptance anduse
ofCodex standards andthiswillassist theSPSCommittee ofWTO togoahead withitsforeseen
harmonization programme.G/SPS/W/42
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TheExecutive Committee oftheCAC hasstressed thatalthough close andeffective working
relations between theWTO andCAC isimportant, theprogramme ofwork oftheCAC isindependent
ofthatoftheWTO andmust beintegrated withthose ofitsparent organizations.
Resource needs ofstandards-setting organizations
TheCodex Alimentarius Commission isanFAObodyjointly funded byFAOandWHO under
along-standing agreement inrelation totheoperation oftheJoint FAO/WHO Food Standards
Programme. FAO provides thelarge majority offunds totheJoint Programme, inexcess of80%.
Thebudget oftheprogramme isaround $5mperbiennium. Thissupports astaffinRome consisting
oftheSecretary, 5other professional staff, and8general service staffmainly concerned inthe
preparation anddistribution ofdocumentation. Thebudget ismatched byvoluntary contributions by
theHostGovernmentsofCodextechnicalcommittees.Theyprovideessentialtranslation,documentation
andinterpretation services forCodex Meetings inspecific technical areas.
TheCodex Programme covers bothSPSandTBTissues -although inrecent years there has
beenastrong movement oftheresources internal totheProgramme from TBTissues toSPSissues.
Itisprobably thecasethatthismovement ofresources hasgone about asfarasitcangowithout
compromising Codex TBT-related work. Inrealpoint offact,theresources oftheProgramme are
about stretched tothelimit. Wedonotknow towhatextent there isfurther scope forcostreduction
without affecting output -bothquality andquantity ofoutput.
TheCodex Secretariat therefore seesthatanywishofthisCommittee (ortheTBTCommittee)
toexpand oraccelerate thework ofCodex, hastobeconsidered within theavailability ofadditional
resources.G/SPS/W/42
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RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE
URUGUAY ROUND ADOPTED BYTHE 21STSESSION
OFTHE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Recommendations bytheExecutive Committee
I. TheExecutive Committee recommended that:
A. theCodex Alimentarius Commission andCodex Committees become more responsive
tocurrent andemerging problems intheinternational trade infood;
B. there begreater expediency inthedevelopment ofCodex standards, guidelines and
recommendations;
C. aconsistent approach toriskmanagement inthespecification ofCodex standards,
guidelines andrecommendations bedeveloped anddocumented;
D. aprocedure toidentify those standards, guidelines andrecommendations which have
amajor trade impact andtheextent towhich these standards areusedbyMember
countries bedeveloped;
E. detailed documentation bemade available onthetechnical basis ofdecision-making
inthedevelopment ofCodex standards, guidelines andrecommendations andfor
transparency;
F. theCodex system monitor closely scientific developments relevant tomatters covered
byCodex standards, guidelines andrecommendations; and
G. theCodex Secretariat become more service oriented inproviding information andin
responding toclient inquiries.
II. Further, theExecutive Committee recommended that:
A. Codex Committees dealexpeditiously withcurrent andemerging problems inthe
international trade infoodthatcome totheirattention;
B. Codex Committees expedite thedevelopment ofCodex standards, guidelines and
recommendations, urging stronger leadership inthismatter within Committees on
theCodex Secretariat andNational Secretariats; and
C. Codex Committees provide detailed documentation ofthetechnical basis of
decision-making inthedevelopment ofstandards, guidelines andrecommendations
soastoensure thetransparency oftheirdevelopment.
III. Finally, theExecutive Committee requested theCodex Secretariat to:
A. takenecessary action todevelop anddocument theapplication ofriskassessment
asitrelates tothehuman lifeandhealth protection aspects offood;
B. establish systems toclosely monitor scientific developments relevant tomatters
covered byCodex standards, guidelines andrecommendations;G/SPS/W/42
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C. setupasystem tomaintain acomprehensive register ofeminent persons infields
related toCodex standards, guidelines andrecommendations;
D. takeaction necessary tobecome more service oriented inproviding information
services andinresponding toclient inquiries; and
E. monitor thework priorities ofCodex Committees anddraw totheattention ofthe
Executive Committee, forconsideration andpossible action, anyneedforre-
ordering orredirection.
Recommendations concerning Notification/Acceptance
TheCommission:
I. agrees tothedevelopment ofacomputer based wider notification scheme tocover
acceptance andnon-acceptance ofCodex standards andrelated texts;
II. requests theSecretariat torevise theform fornotification ofacceptance toinclude:
A. thenewcategory ofacceptance forfreedistribution asagreed atthe20thSession
oftheCommission in1993;
B. information ontheuseofCodex standards orrelated textsintotalorinpart;
whether domestically and/or asacondition ofimport, including reasons fornon
useandwhether Members consider therelevant standard orrelated textisnot
stringent enough toprovide theappropriate levelofsanitary orphytosanitary
protection, ordoesnotadequately meetother legitimate objectives;
C. newinformation about theuseorotherwise asabove ofCodex related texts;
D. information onwhether Codex standards andrelevant textsareconsidered
equivalent todomestic provisions; and
E. information onanyregulations ofother countries which havebeenrecognised as
equivalent todomestic regulations fortrade purposes.
III. requests theCodex Committee onGeneral Principles todraftrevised Guidelines forthe
Acceptance Procedure forCodex Standards tomore accurately reflect thecurrent
categories ofacceptance andtoaccommodate theproposed change ofthenotification of
acceptance form toencompass awider notification scheme.
IV. requests theCodex Committee onGeneral Principles toconsider further revision ofclause
4.BoftheGeneral Principles toremove theslightly anomalous clause 4.B.(i)which asks
Members which cannot accept astandard inanyoftheways mentioned, including free
distribution, whether products conforming tothestandard maybedistributed freely, given
thenewcategory ofacceptance forfreedistribution.
V. reminds Members:
A. oftheirobligations torespond toevery issue ofneworamended standards,
including giving detailed responses astolocalrequirements where Codex
standards arenotformally accepted, andthereasons forthose differences; andG/SPS/W/42
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B. theneedtokeepthisinformation uptodatewhen national lawsorpractices are
laterchanged.
VI. agreed totheestablishment ofpriorities fortheorder ofMembers ’responses tothe
revised notification scheme;
VII. agreed thatthefirstpriority should bestandards andrelated textswhich haveamajor
trade impact;
VIII. requested Members toindicate within agiven period those sanitary andphytosanitary
standards andrelated textswhich areconsidered tohaveamajor trade impact, toform the
basis ofalisttobeconsidered inconjunction withtheSPSCommittee andtobethe
highest priority forMembers inresponding totherevised notification scheme; and
IX. requested Members tosuggest further priorities andatime-frame forresponding tothe
revised notification scheme.