The 33rd session of the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP) took important steps towards improving the Procedural Manual, which has been made available in its new format on the Codex Alimentarius website. CCGP33 participants discussed obsolete and outdated content, the guide for amendments and revision for Codex texts and identified other areas for further examination. The Codex Secretariat announced that, aligning with FAO and WHO paperless policies, future editions of the PM will only be available electronically. “CCGP33 was highly successful in advancing the work on the Procedural Manual, on the other items on the agenda, thanks to the hard work, participation and contributions by all participants”, said Jean-Luc Angot, CCGP Chairperson.

CCGP33, hosted by France, also provided an opportunity for informal discussions on issues of importance for Codex. The three sister organizations, Codex Alimentarius, the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH), presented their efforts to monitor the use and impact of standards in their respective fields. The Codex Secretariat took on this occasion to present the latest survey results on the use and impact of Codex standards, published on 3 October 2023.

“While we are celebrating 60 years of Codex this year, we are also having to embrace wider change. Through this week’s discussions, we reflected on how the Procedural Manual can continue being a compass for the way we work”, Sarah Cahill, Codex Senior Food Safety Officer, highlighted. This approach emerged clearly during the side event on models for future Codex work, which allowed an informal consultation with CCGP participants.

Photo © FAO / Codex Giuseppe Di Chiera

Learn more:

Latest and previous versions of the CAC Procedural Manual

CCGP 33 meeting page

Interview with Jean-Luc Angot, CCGP Chairperson

CCGP33 underway / Updating Codex procedures to meet the need of members

Codex survey / Results show 80 percent satisfaction in use and impact of Codex texts