Codex Alimentarius Commission Tom Heilandt Codex Secretariat

1. Workshop on the relationship between the SPS Committee and the international standard-setting organizations Codex Alimentarius Commission Tom Heilandt Codex Secretariat

2. Codex mandate, membership and results

3. 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

4. Codex offers a forum to negotiate standards • 182 members, one member organization (EC) • 200 IGOs and NGOs

5. 99% of the worlds’ population 47+1 2 23 17 49 33 11

6. 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

7. 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))

8. Stucture, standard setting, role of science

9. Codex Alimentarius Commission Secretariat Executive Committee Ad-hoc intergovernmental task forces Vertical Committees Horizontal Committees General Principles (France) Food Labelling (Canada) 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) Food Additives (China) Pesticide Residues (China) Residuos de Plaguicidas (China) adjourned sine die Sugars (United Kingdom) Meat Hygiene (New Zealand) Contaminants in Foods (Netherlands) Contaminantes de los Alimentos (Países Bajos) Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (United States) Residuos de Medicamentos Veterinarios en los Alimentos (Estados Unidos) 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) Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (Germany) Asia (Indonesia) North America and South West Pacific (Tonga) Europe (Poland) Near East (Tunisia)

10. Start Adoption/ decision Critical review Elaboration/ Negotiation/ consultation Discussion paper Proposed draft standard Project document T 1 T 1 T2 elaboration T3 consultation T4 negotiation consultation Committee T 5 T 5 Endorsement by general committees consultation T6 consultation Draft standard T7 negotiation consultation T 8 T 8 Codex standard Executive Committee Committee Commission

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. Relationship with the SPS committee and OIE and IPPC

15. 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)

16. 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

17. 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

18. Challenges, Possible common topics

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

20. Is Codex slow? From 1 to ∞ • 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 don’t move but also no consensus on stopping work > 10 years • Some are held at step 8

21. 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

22. 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

23. 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

24. 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

25. Participation

28. Host governments + co-hosting 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 4 1 2+3 1 1+1 2 1+2 1 1 1+1 1 1 1+2 1 2 2 2

29. 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

30. 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.

31. 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) )

32. 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

33. Thank you