INFORMATION ON ACTIVITIES
Communication from the Codex Alimentarius
Commission (codex)
The following
communication, received on 21 October 2024, is being circulated at the request
of the Codex secretariat.
_______________
1 INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS
1.1 86th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex
Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC86, Rome, Italy, 1-5 July 2024)
1.1. CCEXEC86 focused on the critical review of Codex texts proposed for
adoption and new work proposals for approval by the 47th Session of
the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47, 25‑30 November 2024), as well as
monitoring the progress of standards development in the various technical
subsidiary bodies of CAC. Furthermore, the Committee worked on developing the
Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031 and considered working modalities for Codex.
1.2 27th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and
Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS27, Cairns, Australia, 16–20
September 2024)
1.2. CCFICS27 agreed to forward the Guidelines on the Prevention and Control
of Food Fraud for adoption by CAC47. The committee agreed on several sections
of the document, notably the exclusion of intellectual property provisions. The
outstanding issues will be considered at its next session (October 2026).
1.3. CCFICS27 continues to work on consolidated guidelines related to
equivalence and the update of the Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing
as a Tool within a Food Inspection and Certification System (CXG 60-2006).
1.4. CCFICS27 further agreed on the following new work for approval by
CAC47:
-_
Guidance on an
appeals mechanism in the context of rejecting imported food, which ensures fair
practices in the food trade through a uniform appeal mechanism;
-_
Guidance on the
standardization of the representation of sanitary requirements that can
simplify clearance processes and thereby promote food safety;
-_
Revision of the Principles
and Guidelines for the Exchange of Information between Importing and Exporting
Countries to Support the Trade in Food (CXG 89-2016) to develop principles and
guidelines to harmonize the use, development, and implementation of
establishment listings;
-_
The development
of high-level guiding principles for the digitalization of National Food
Control Systems.
1.5. Working documents, including the report of the above-mentioned Codex
sessions, are available on the respective pages on the Codex webpage: CCEXEC86 and CCFICS27.
2 FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS OF SPS RELEVANCE (As of May 2024. See the
Codex website for the full meeting calendar)
2.1. The following Codex meetings relevant to the SPS Committee will be
meeting as of October 2024:
-_
27th
Session of the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods
(CCRVDF27, Omaha, Nebraska, United States of America, 21-25 October 2024);
-_
87th
Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CCEXEC87, Geneva, Switzerland, 18-22 November 2024);
-_
47th
Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC47, Geneva, Switzerland, 25‑30 November
2024): Some important highlights of the forthcoming CAC are the discussion on
the Codex Strategic Plan 2026-2031 and the election of the new Chairperson and
Vice-Chairpersons of CAC, the election of members of CCEXEC elected on a
geographical basis and the appointment of new coordinators for regional
coordinating committees.
2.2. Regular updates on the status of the work of these committees are
published on their dedicated webpages: CCRVDF27, CCEXEC87, and CAC47.
2.3. For specific questions on the status of work in Codex committees of
interest to SPS delegates, please check the dedicated webpages or email codex@fao.org.
3 GENERAL
3.1. The Codex secretariat, in collaboration with host country
secretariats, is continuing to convene working group meetings and webinars in
advance of Codex subsidiary sessions to support delegations' preparations and
facilitate discussions and consensus-building. Further information is available
on the committee webpages and the Codex calendar.
3.1 Monitoring the use and impact of Codex texts
3.2. In 2022, at CCEXEC82, Codex members endorsed the secretariat's proposed
approach for building a mechanism to monitor the use and impact of Codex texts,
including an annual survey, case studies, and collaboration with WTO. The
results of the 2022 and 2023 surveys on the use and impact of Codex texts were
published (available on the Codex website) and include recommendations to the
Codex secretariat, Codex members, FAO, and WHO. The 2024 survey was submitted
to Codex members in September 2024, and results will be published in 2025. In addition,
a case study on the use and impact of the Code of Practice on the Prevention
and Reduction of Mycotoxin Contamination in Cereals (CXC 51-2003) in Brazil was
implemented. The results of the case study will be published in 2024. In
addition, discussion is ongoing with the Secretariats of the WTO SPS and
TBT Committees on the use of their notification system as a potential data
source that can contribute to the Codex monitoring of the use and impact of
Codex texts.
__________