The CODEX Alimentarius Commission

1
The CODEX Alimentarius Commission

• Being an active member of Codex rights and
  responsibilities

2
Plan

• Focus on the Codex
• Rights
• Responsibilities

3
The Codex Alimentarius Commission

• Joint FAO/WHO body (1963 to date)
• 180 member countries
• CAC objectives
• Protection of consumer health
• Fair trade practices
• Objectives of Codex publications
• Promotion and guidance of the elaboration,
  implementation and harmonization of definitions
  and requirements for food products, resulting in
  
• Facilitation of international trade
• Role strengthened by the creation of the WTO
• SPS/TBT
• Reference organization (Three Sisters)

4
Scope of the Codex

• Target
• Main food products, at different stages, destined
  for the consumer market
• All materials used in food preparation
• Provisions in many areas
• Food hygiene
• Additives
• Residues of pesticides and veterinary drugs
• Contaminants
• Labelling and presentation
• Methods of analysis and sampling
• Import and export inspection and certification

5
The tools to be used

• Procedural Manual Basic tool
• Section I Statutes, rules of procedure,
  procedures for elaboration of standards
• Section II guidelines for committees and
  intergovernmental task forces
• Section III working principles on risk analysis
  for application in Codex work
• Section IV titles and terms of reference of
  subsidiary bodies

6

• Strategic Plan 2008-2013
• 5 goals
• Promoting sound regulatory frameworks
• Promoting widest and most consistent application
  of scientific principles and risk analysis
• Strengthening Codex work-management capabilities
• Promoting cooperation between Codex and relevant
  international organizations
• Encouraging maximum and effective participation
  of members

7

• Priority criteria
• Broad criterion concerning the purpose of Codex
• Criteria applied to general issues
• Diversity of national regulations and barrier to
  trade
• Scope of works and determination of priorities in
  activity areas
• Works already undertaken or suggested elsewhere

8

• Criteria applied to products
• Volume of production and consumption in each
  country and level and structure of trade between
  countries
• Diversity of national legislations and barrier to
  trade
• International or regional market potential
• Product suitability for standardization
• Existence of general standard in effect or
  planned covering the main issues relating to
  consumer protection and trade
• Number of products requiring distinct standards
• Work already undertaken in this area (or
  suggested) by other international organizations

9
Right to Membership

• All Member States of FAO and/or WHO
• Interested
• Application through the DG of FAO or of WHO
• Right
• Voluntary procedure previously identified
  interests
• Once a Member enjoys all opportunities and
  provisions set out in the statutes and rules of
  procedure But
• Responsibility to work towards the 5th goal of
  the Strategic Plan
• Encouraging maximum and effective participation
  of members
• Effective means performance- and results- driven
  beyond physical participation

10
Responsibilities

• Appropriation of statutes, procedures and tools
• Commitment to effective participation
• By correspondence
• By physical presence, if appropriate
• Use of available documents
• Enhancing participation in Codex activities
• Reports
• Technical publications standards, codes,
  guidelines
• Awareness of the requirements of active
  participation and articulation of standards needs
  (new or amendments), including
• Updated regulatory framework (WTO), applicable
  and applied
• Efficient institutional framework

11

• Adequate capacity of surveillance and control
  (data production, collection and analysis)
• Organization of private sector and civil society
• Communication and transparency between all actors
• Specific instruments to be established
• Contact point
• National Committee
• Implied continuity of resources
• Knowledge
• WTO SPS/TBT
• Importance of risk analysis (Codex, national
  regulations)

12
Implications at national level

• Establishment and operation of Codex national
  activities
• Policy assertion
• Information
• Awareness raising
• Necessary resources made available
• Material
• Human
• Contact Point
• National Committee
• Balanced composition public sector, private
  sector, consumers
• Training, organization and rules of procedure
• Selection of priorities (subsidiary bodies)
• Working procedures managing documentation,
  formulating national positions
• Networking (national and regional committees)

13
Codex a tool

• That can reveal the weaknesses and dysfunctions
  of the juridical and institutional framework,
  which will need to be corrected
• Inadequacy of political will in the food safety
  sector
• Conflicts of competence
• Insufficient communication and transparency
• Reality of control weak and not anchored in
  strategy
• Inadequacy of data and scientific and analytical
  support
• Ignorance and underutillization of available
  documents
• Obsolescence and inadequacy of regulatory
  framework
• And that, to fully play its role, must
• Integrate into a formal and effective system of
  control
• Serve clearly-defined policies
• Be at the service of all actors

14

• That requires active, concerted, socially
  responsive and reasoned participation within its
  bodies
• Involving not so much physical tip of the
  iceberg presence which might be
• Necessary, but for the advancement of precise
  objectives for maximum impact (draft text or
  standard with important sanitary or economic
  implications, regional committee)
• Identified by the national committee
• Included in the programme of international
  conferences
• And, as appropriate, contribution of the trust
  fund

15

• But that is above all the capacity to
• Work together for a common objective
• Identify national priorities and needs
• Participate actively by correspondence, observing
  rules of procedure and timeframes
• Restructure the national control framework and
  tools (ongoing process)
• Integrated and preventive approach
• Communication and transparency
• Risk analysis
• Modernization and regulatory and normative
  oversight
• Production of data
• Request for technical assistance
• Share problems and experiences