45. The Commission had before it ALINORM 72/6 containing details of the budget for 1972/73 as approved by the governing bodies of FAO and WHO. The joint budget for 1972/73 amounted to $ 623,400 exclusive of internal printing and translation provided by FAO to the amount of $ 492,500. The joint budget contained a programme increase of $ 16,400 for publications and documents to enable the printing of Step 9 standards adopted by the Commission at its Eighth Session, but postponed in 1971 due to budgetary difficulties. Other increases in the joint budget were attributable to cost increases common to FAO and WHO.
46. About the middle of 1972, FAO found itself faced with serious financial difficulties arising from a combination of outside factors, including changes in the US dollar/lira exchange rates. In order to meet the situation brought about by these difficulties, the Director-General of FAO directed that all sectors of the FAO budget paid for out of Regular Programme funds be cut back by 10%. This cut was applied to the FAO funds made available to the Food Standards Programme and amounted to $ 96,000. The 10% cut has had to be apportioned in the ratio of 35% to staff and 65% to the programme. As regards programme elements, a small reduction had been made in duty travel and meetings and the balance of the reduction applied to documents. This cut might result in the postponement of certain publications or of some documents such as those containing feasibility studies regarding the question of whether to embark on the standardization of various products or product groups not yet the subject of standardization by the Commission.
47. The Commission took note of the details contained in the document mentioned above concerning free quota distribution of all Step 9 standards which were now priced publications. The Commission noted that the proceeds from sales would go into a miscellaneous fund which would finance reprinting of the standards as required.
48. The Commission also took note of the list of Codex Sessions which had been approved by the governing bodies of FAO for 1972/73. The list, which had been established in 1971, might undergo limited changes so far as Codex sessions in 1973 were concerned, in the light of the wishes of the Commission at its present session. This matter would be dealt with under the item of the agenda dealing with the timetable of Codex Sessions for 1973/76 (see paragraph 347 of this Report).
