Strengthening a Codex Contact Point

1
Strengthening a Codex Contact Point

• Getting involved and/or strengthening an existing
  programme-the role of the CCP.

2
National Codex Contact Point

• Coordinator and focal point for Codex activities
• Link with Codex secretariat (and EC council
  secretariat)
• Facilitates communication among relevant
  ministries, governmental departments, industry,
  trade organisations, consumer groups.
• Usually located in a government department or
  ministry

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
3
Core functions of the Codex Contact Point

• Acts as the link between the Codex secretariat
  and member countries
• Coordinates all relevant Codex activities at
  national level
• Recieves all Codex final texts and working
  documents of Codex sessions and ensures that they
  are circulated to those concerned within their
  own country
• Sends comments on Codex documents or proposals to
  the Codex Alimentarius Commission or its
  subsidiary bodies and/or the Codex secretariat
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
4
Core functions of the Codex Contact Point
(cont.1)

• Works in close cooperation with the National
  Codex Committee and acts as liaison point with
  all national stakeholders to ensure an
  appropriate balance of policy and technical
  advice upon which to base decisions relating to
  issues raised in the context of the Codex work
• Acts as a channel for the exchange of information
  and coordination of activities with other Codex
  Members
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
5
Core functionsof the Codex Contact Point (cont.
2)

• Receives the invitation to Codex sessions and
  informs the relevant chairpersons and the Codex
  Secretariat of the names of participants on
  national delegation
• Recieves invitation to working groups and informs
  the relevant chairperson of the WG who will be
  the contact person.
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
6
Core functionsof the Codex Contact Point (cont.
3)

• Maintains a library of Codex final texts.
• Promotes Codex activities throughout their own
  countries
• Is responsible for interaction between the
  beneficiary country and the Codex Trust Fund
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
7
System for documents

• Easy to find new and old documents
• Easy to save documents
• Easy for everybody to find documents
• Paper kopies needed for almost all committee
  meetings
• Laptop with all documents sometimes ok at
  meetings

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
8
Establishing a Codex Contact Point

• One professional officer with food science/food
  safety experience. At least 25 of his/her tim to
  Codex issues
• One clergical support person, 25-30 to
  administartive issues
• This based on a minimum involvement by a country
  in Codex (i.e. CCEURO)

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
9
Infrastucture resouces required

• Computer capable of accessing intranet, recieving
  e-mail and contemporary software capabilities
• Office space including photocopying
  capacity,filing cabinet, telephone, fax, etc.
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
10
Priority for work

• Chose the most important subjects for your
  country
• Give priority for only some committees or Task
  Forces as a beginning
• Read last meetings report
• Make sure experts are awailable when needed
• For EU members, give highest priority to EC
  coordination

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
11
Initial activities

• Establish contacts with other relevant
  governmental ministries/bodies
• Establish contacts with industry
• Establish contacts with consumers
• Mechanism for national collaboration
• Conduct Codex workshops
• Circulate report
• Regional liaison/networking
• Briefing for senior officials
• FAO/WHO Training package

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
12
Briefing about the Codex system

• Teach how to understand Codex documents
• Teach how to understand Codex Procedural Manual
• Teach how ro send comments
• Start submitting written comments
• Teach how to act at meetings

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
13
Responsible person for each committee

• Appoint one person responsible for every
  committee in which your country is active.
• This person can be responsible for several
  committees
• The responsible person arranges meetings with
  stakeholders to discuss specific subjects
• The responsible person collects written comments
• The responsible person suggests country comments
• All involved ministries have to approve comments
• The responsible person often participates in
  Codex meeting, sometimes together with experts

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
14
Comments from government

• Discuss or give possibility for all stakeholders
  to have opinion on specific issues
• Both policymakers and specialists
• Comments are always from your country
• Governement decides how input from industry,
  consumers and others should be taken into account

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
15
Strategy

• Send comments in time
• Have fall back positions
• Have a strategy for the meeting
• Paticipate in adoption of the report

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg
16
Follow up

• Participants have to produce reports
• Circulate national reports to all involved
• Make a plan for the next meeting of the committee
• List matters from the committee to CAC
• Matters sent to other committees for comments or
  information must be known to person responsible
  for other committee

Eva Rolfsdotter Lönberg