5. The Commission decided to set up under Rule IX.1(b).2 of its Rules of Procedure an Advisory Group for Europe. The Commission further determined the membership and terms of reference of this Advisory Group as follows, in accordance with Rules IX.2 and IX.5 of its Rules of Procedure:
Membership: All Member Governments of FAO and/or WHO within the geographic area of Europe, including Israel, Turkey and the USSR.
Terms of Reference: To advise and assist the Coordinator for Europe on all matters concerning the preparation of draft standards for submission to the Commission.*
Chairman: Ex officio, the Coordinator for Europe.
6. The Commission fixed the terms of reference of the Coordinator for Europe as follows:
To advise and assist the Chairman of the Expert Committees set up under Rule IX.1(b).1 based on countries in Europe, in their common work on food standards throughout the region.
7. On the proposal of the European region, the Commission unanimously appointed Prof. Otto Högl (Switzerland) as Coordinator for Europe for a period of two years.
8. The Commission noted with satisfaction that the present European Council of the Codex Alimentarius agreed henceforth to serve in this new capacity under the title “Advisory Group for Europe of the Joint FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission”. * As such this body became an organ of the Commission open to all governments in Europe as stated above and empowered to elect its Vice-Chairman and fix its own working procedures if required, within the general framework of the Commission's Statutes and Rules of Procedure.
9. In making these proposals, the Commission drew attention to the fact that the basic recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Conference on Food Standards as to the centralization within the Codex Alimentarius Commission itself of both the allocation of preparatory work and the finalization of draft standards were retained. At the same time the recommendations of the Joint FAO/WHO Conference on Food Standards in favour of preparatory work on a regional basis wherever appropriate and the similar recommendation of the 16th World Health Assembly were likewise given full effect.
