When a Codex Committee proposes to elaborate a standard, code of practice or related text within its terms of reference, it should first consider the priorities established by the Commission in the Medium-Term Plan of Work, any specific relevant strategic project currently being undertaken by the Commission and the prospect of completing the work within a reasonable period of time. It should also assess the proposal against the criteria set out below.
If the proposal falls in an area outside the Committee’s terms of reference the proposal should be reported to the Commission in writing together with proposals for such amendments to the Committee’s terms of reference as may be required.
Criteria
Criteria applicable to general subjects
(a) Consumer protection from the point of view of health and fraudulent practices.Criteria applicable to commodities(b) Diversification of national legislations and apparent resultant or potential impediments to international trade.
(c) Scope of work and establishment of priorities between the various sections of the work.
(d) Work already undertaken by other international organizations in this field.
(a) Consumer protection from the point of view of health and fraudulent practices.(b) Volume of production and consumption in individual countries and volume and pattern of trade between countries.
(c) Diversification of national legislations and apparent resultant or potential impediments to international trade.
(d) International or regional market potential.
(e) Amenability of the commodity to standardization.
(f) Coverage of the main consumer protection and trade issues by existing or proposed general standards.
(g) Number of commodities which would need separate standards indicating whether raw, semi processed or processed.
(h) Work already undertaken by other international organizations in this field.
