Workshop on the relationship between the SPS Committee and the international standard-setting organizations

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Workshop on the relationship between the SPS
Committee and the international standard-setting
organizations

• Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Tom Heilandt
• Codex Secretariat

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Codex mandate, membership and results
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Mandate

• Protect the health of consumers
• Ensure fair practices in the food trade
• Promote coordination of all food standards work
  undertaken by IGOs and INGOs
• Develop and maintain a collection of
  international food standards the Codex
  Alimentarius

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Codex offers a forum to negotiate standards

• 182 members, one member organization (EC)
• 200 IGOs and NGOs

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99 of the worlds population
471
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23
17
49
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Codex results

• Horizontal standards (GSFA, GSCTF, labelling,
  methods)
• Product standards (individual and group)
• Guidelines (principles, certification,
  inspection, risk analysis, sampling)
• Codes of practice (hygiene, prevention of
  contamination)
• Pesticide MRLs
• Veterinary drugs MRLs
• Regional standards, codes and guidelines

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The SPS agreement

• defines International standards, guidelines and
  recommendations
• for food safety, the standards, guidelines and
  recommendations established by the Codex
  Alimentarius Commission relating to food
  additives, veterinary drug and pesticide
  residues, contaminants, methods of analysis and
  sampling, and codes and guidelines of hygienic
  practice (Annex A,3.a))

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Stucture, standard setting, role of science
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Secretariat
Codex Alimentarius Commission
Executive Committee
Ad-hoc intergovernmental task forces
Horizontal Committees
Vertical Committees
Food Labelling (Canada)
General Principles (France)
active
active
Milk and Milk Products (New Zealand)
Processed Fruits and Vegetables (United States)
Antimicrobial Resistance (Republic of Korea)
Import and Export Inspection and Certification
Systems (Australia)
Fish and Fishery Products (Norway)
Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (Mexico)
dissolved
Fruit Juices (Brazil)
Animal Feeding (Denmark)
Fats and Oils (Malaysia)
Foods derived from Biotechnology (Japan)
Processing and Handling of Quick Frozen Foods
(Thailand)
Aditivos Alimentarios (China)
Residuos de Plaguicidas (China)
Food Additives (China)
Pesticide Residues (China)
adjourned sine die
Meat Hygiene (New Zealand)
Sugars (United Kingdom)
Contaminantes de los Alimentos (Países Bajos)
Residuos de Medicamentos Veterinarios en los
Alimentos (Estados Unidos)
Contaminants in Foods (Netherlands)
Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (United
States)
Cereals, Pulses and Legumes (United States)
Vegetable Proteins (Canada)
FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees
Higiene de los Alimentos (Estados Unidos)
Food Hygiene (United States)
Africa (Ghana)
Latin America and the Caribbean (Mexico)
Natural Mineral Waters (Switzerland)
Cocoa Products and Chocolate (Switzerland)
Methods of Analysis and Sampling (Hungary)
Asia (Indonesia)
North America and South West Pacific (Tonga)
Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses
(Germany)
Europe (Poland)
Near East (Tunisia)
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Start
Critical review
Adoption/ decision
Elaboration/ Negotiation/ consultation
Discussion paper
Proposed draft standard
T 1
Project document
T 1
T2 elaboration
T3 consultation
T4 negotiation
consultation
Committee
T 5
T 5
Endorsement by general committees
Draft standard
T6 consultation
T7 negotiation
consultation
consultation
T 8
T 8
Codex standard
Executive Committee
Committee
Commission
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Implementation of standards and monitoring

• FAO/WHO capacity building programmes
• Acceptance procedure eliminated 2005
• FAO/WHO Coordinating Committees review
  use/non-use of Codex Standards based on replies
  from members of the region.

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Role of science

• The food standards, guidelines and other
  recommendations of Codex Alimentarius shall be
  based on the principle of sound scientific
  analysis and evidence, involving a thorough
  review of all relevant information, in order that
  the standards assure the quality and safety of
  the food supply. (CAC decision 1995)
• Since 1995 Risk Analysis has been implemented in
  Codex process will be completed in 2010

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Risk Assessment for Codex FAO/WHO scientific
advice
Chemical hazards
Microbiological hazards
JEMRA
Nutrition
JECFA
JMPR
CCFA CCCF CCRVDF
CCPR
CCFH
CCNFSDU
Ad hoc consultations
biotechnology
etc..
biotoxins
active chlorine
TFFBT
CCCF
CCFH
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Relationship with the SPS committee and OIE and
IPPC
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Codex - SPS

• Mutual reporting and participation of
  secretariats in meetings and workshops
• Cooperation on SPS training activities and in
  STDF
• Contacts between SPS/CAC chairs have led to a new
  food additive maximum value
• Monitoring of application of standards (WTO
  members are encouraged to notify)

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Codex - OIE

• Mutual participation at all different levels
• Participation of OIE in the work of Codex and
  reporting encouraged by the Commission (ALINORM
  05/28/3, paras 97-98)
• OIE initiative to evaluate in CCGP the
  possibility of joint standards

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Codex - IPPC

• Codex risk analysis texts served as model for
  IPPC
• Regular consultations between the Secretariats of
  the Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Mutual participation in meetings

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Challenges, Possible common topics
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Challenges

• Speed of standard development while remaining
  inclusive and transparent
• Finding consensus in a heterogeneous membership
• Participation of developing countries
• Private standards

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Is Codex slow? From 1 to 8

• The Codex procedure allows to create a standard
  in one year
• For many standards steps 6 and 7 are omitted and
  the majority of work is completed in 2 - 4 years
• Few standards move slowly but eventually get
  adopted (e.g. definition for fibre, oranges, risk
  analysis for governments) 5 10 years
• Very few dont move but also no consensus on
  stopping work gt 10 years
• Some are held at step 8

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Speed in recent years

• New work 2008 19
• 2009 1 at 5/8 1 at 5
• New work 2007 12
• 2008 4 at 5/8, 1 at 5
• 2009 1 at 8, 1 at 5
• New work 2006 13
• 2007 1 at 5/8, 3 at 5
• 2008 3 at 5/8, 3 at 8, 3 at 5
• 2009 1 at 5/8, 2 at 8
• New work 2005 11
• 2006 2 at 5/8, 2 at 5, 1 disc
• 2007 1 at 5/8, 2 at 5
• 2008 2 at 8
• 2009 1 disc

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Standards management - improvements

• Joint Evaluation resulting in Critical
  Review function of CCEXEC
• Recently Executive Committee developed guidance
  for
• Monitoring the standards setting process
• Application of the Criteria for the Establishment
  of Work Priorities

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Consensus

• Codex today works mainly by consensus
• Building consensus can take time
• Some votes in the past have been divisive
• It is the chairpersons responsibility to
  facilitate consensus and to rule when it has been
  reached
• Consensus in Codex does not have to be unanimity
  but there is no definition
• There is a common understanding but some concern
  that the concept is not applied equally across
  Committees

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CAC32 on consensus

• Brochure for Chairs on how to apply the concept
  of consensus uniformly
• Use of a facilitator
• Satisfaction survey (including question on
  chairperson)
• Problematic issues to be brought to the CCEXEC
  and the informal meeting of chairs for
  appropriate action
• Convening an informal meeting of chairs
• Explore possibilities for developing a reference
  document for delegates on consensus building

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Participation
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Host governments co-hosting
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Proposals discussed at CAC32

• Make best use of written comments
• Foster dynamic exchange outside physical meetings
• Reduce the number of sessions
• Concentrate all Codex sessions in Rome or Geneva

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CAC32 - Conclusions

• Strengthening of the Trust Fund
• FAO and WHO capacity building activities in
  developing countries, including regional
  workshops and STDF projects
• Co-hosting of Codex sessions should be continued
• Mentoring mechanisms through intra-regional
  cooperation
• Timely distribution of documents in the official
  languages.

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Private standards consultants opinions

• Codex has had an implicit role in guiding the
  development of private standards setting out a
  framework and common vocabulary
• Similar to national regulations, private
  standards translate Codex texts into standards
  containing guidance for application and auditing
• Codex should increase speed of standard setting
• Codex clientele has changed. To remain relevant,
  Codex depends on the adoption of its standards,
  guidelines and codes by both governments and
  private standard setters
• (The Impacts of Private Food Safety Standards on
  the Food Chain and on Public Standard-Setting
  Processes (ALINORM 09/32/9D-Part II) Spencer
  Henson and John Humphrey) )

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CAC32 on private standards

• Concern to many members as compliance/
  certification was difficult, especially for
  developing countries.
• Need to see how private standards relate to Codex
  standards. Codex standards should be benchmarks
  for these private standards. International
  harmonization of food safety provisions should be
  based on Codex standards.
• Forum to address the legal implications of
  private standards is the WTO SPS committee.
• CAC will work with OIE and IPPC should consult on
  a common strategic position on this matter
• Study to analyse the role, cost and benefits of
  private standards especially with respect to the
  impact on developing countries

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Thank you