CODEX UPDATE TO THE TBT COMMITTEE
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY the CODEX ALIMENTARIUS
COMMISSION (CODEX)
This document contains information provided by
Codex for consideration at the TBT Committee meeting of 12-14 November 2025 under
Agenda Item 6.a on Updates by Observers.
_______________
1 INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE MEETINGS
1.1 34th Session of the
Codex Committee on General Principles
(CCGP34, Lille, France, 2 – 6 June 2025)
1.1.1 Recommendations
for action by CAC48 and ongoing work:
1.1. The Committee has in recent sessions being reviewing the Codex Procedural
Manual to improve clarity and usability and reflect on possible updates to meet
today's standard setting needs. In this context, CCGP34 agreed to forward to
CAC48 several amendments to the Codex
Procedural Manual, including updates to the Guide to the
procedure for the amendment and revision of Codex standards and related texts to improve clarity and procedural efficiency, and the Guidelines for
subsidiary bodies to remove superseded content and ensure they reflected
current work practices and needs. Work will continue on other aspects, such as
inter-session working groups. Noting that the nature of new work proposals for
consideration by CAC is evolving, CCGP34 concluded that, for now, existing
provisions could be applied flexibly to review new work proposals where no
active committee is available, while further analysis would be considered for
longer-term solutions.
1.1.2 Other issues
1.2. The
Committee, in reiterating the importance of Codex work, encouraged Members to
advocate for the continued support of Codex work in FAO and WHO Governing
Bodies. It also noted the positive impact of
the Codex Trust Fund for Members, as well as concerns regarding its financial
situation, and the need to explore alternative mechanisms to continue
supporting Members in their participation in Codex work. Some Members shared the view that there was scope to describe
the definition and application of reservations further, as recorded in reports
of Codex sessions. CCGP agreed to promote informal
dialogue to share experiences on the handling of reservations.
1.2 88th
Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CCEXEC88, Rome, Italy, 14 – 18 July 2025)
1.2.1 Recommendations for action by
CAC48:
1.3. CCEXE88 concluded its critical review by recommending to CAC48 the adoption
of standards on food additives, contaminants, pesticide residues, cereals and
pulses, and methods of analysis. It endorsed proposals for new work and agreed
to streamline critical review documentation to improve efficiency. CCEXEC88
also supported including "matters of interest from other international
organizations" as a standing agenda item in FAO/WHO Coordinating
Committees to strengthen cooperation with relevant bodies.
1.4. CCEXEC88 agreed on a monitoring framework for the Codex Strategic Plan
2026–2031, including indicators to track progress in foresight, scientific
advice, participation, and coordination. This has been circulated to all
Members and Observers for comments, and CCEXEC89 will further review it based
on the feedback received. The Committee further concluded that the timely
translation and distribution of documents remain a priority and are important
to ensure inclusivity. It encouraged measures such as word limits and
innovative approaches to improve translation timeframes, thereby ensuring the
effective participation of all Members.
1.3 Additional information on the
meetings above
1.5. Further details on the achievements of the above-mentioned Codex sessions
and future work can be found in the report of the session. Working documents,
including the report, are available on the respective pages on the Codex
webpage: CCGP34, CCCF18, CCEXEC88, and CCPR56.
2 FORTHCOMING CODEX MEETINGS OF TbT
RELEVANCE
2.1. The
following Codex meetings relevant to the TBT Committee will be held as of
September 2025:
·_
89th Session of the Executive Committee
of the Codex Alimentarius Commission
(CCEXEC89, Rome, Italy, 3 – 7 November 2025)
·_
48th Session of the Codex Alimentarius
Commission
(CAC48, Rome, Italy, 10 – 14 November 2025)
·_
8th Session of the Codex Committee on
Spices and Culinary Herbs
(CCSCH08, 10 - 17 October)
2.2. Regular
updates on the status of the work of these Committees are published on their
dedicated web pages: CCEXEC89, CAC48, and CCSCH08.
2.3. For
specific questions on the status of work in Codex committees of interest to TBT
delegates, please check the dedicated webpages or email codex@fao.org.
3 GENERAL
3.1. In collaboration with Host Country
Secretariats, the Codex Secretariat continues to convene electronic and
physical working group meetings and webinars before 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 Codex Strategic Plan
3.2. CAC47 (2024) adopted the Codex Strategic Plan 2026–2031, which highlights
the importance of Member participation, the use of Codex texts, and effective
working practices, while strengthening relationships with other international
organizations. CAC48 will consider a monitoring framework to track
implementation of the new Strategic Plan. A final implementation report on the
Codex Strategic Plan 2020–2025 will be presented to CAC49 (2026).
3.2 Use and Impact of Codex Texts
3.3. Codex work on the use and impact of Codex standards is continuing. The
mechanisms foresee three types of data collection methods: (i) annual surveys
to Codex Members; (ii) case studies on specific Codex texts; and (iii)
collaboration with the WTO and other international organizations.
3.4. Three surveys have been conducted since 2022, and the reports of each are
available on the Codex webpage.[1]
Members' participation in the survey increased over time, reaching 71% (134 Member
responses) in 2024. The 2024 survey reinforces earlier findings that Codex
texts play a foundational role, especially for low and middle-income countries
(LMICs) across all survey dimensions (reach, relevance, and recognition and use
of Codex texts). Results of the last three surveys show high levels of
satisfaction with Codex texts (over 90%) and high reliance of LMICs (over 70%)
for all aspects related to their use, in guiding food safety and quality
legislation, national food control systems, and related training programs,
stakeholder awareness, and trade facilitation. Even if high-income countries
(HICs) are less directly reliant on Codex texts, they express high levels of
satisfaction, and the results demonstrate a high level of attention to Codex
processes.
3.5. A 2025 case
study showed that Brazil significantly reduced fumonisin levels in maize by
implementing the Codex Code of Practice (CXC 51-2003). This led to
significant improvements in food safety, as well as the quality and value of
maize exports. As a result, Brazil transformed from a net maize importer in the
1990s to the world's third-largest producer and second-largest exporter by 2023
(FAO STAT). The study attributes this success mainly to the establishment of
national maximum levels (MLs) supported by the Code of Practice. These lessons
may benefit other countries seeking to implement Codex standards.[2]
3.6. Collaboration with the WTO is ongoing. The Codex Secretariat is analyzing
data from WTO databases to demonstrate how Codex texts relate to international
trade. Preliminary results should be published in 2025.
3.7. The Codex Secretariat is also working with Members to showcase the use of
Codex texts in different contexts, including overcoming contamination issues to
access or reopen markets. One example relates to trade in melons.[3]
This is part of a new Codex in Action Series. The most recent release
highlights how Latin American and Caribbean countries are teaming up
to close data gaps for Codex MRLs.[4]
__________