54. The Commission received reports on the activities of the undermentioned international organization:
55. The Commission had before it a progress report on the activities of the Working Party on the Standardization of Perishable Foodstuffs of the UNECE. The report had been prepared by the Secretariat of the Joint ECE/FAO Agriculture Division of the UNECE. The Commission noted with satisfaction that, during the Working Party's Twenty-third Session, held in Geneva in May 1968, at which the principal overseas exporters of apples and pears were represented, further progress had been made in bringing closer together the views of the European countries and those of the non-European exporting countries regarding a number of the provisions of the European Standard for Apples and Pears, resulting in a subsequent revision of the standard. The Commission also noted that proposed amendments regarding missing stems and sizing had been adopted by a majority of the Working Party in the form of recommendations for a period of two years, during which time it was hoped that governments would endeavour to implement them.
56. The Commission noted that amongst the products for which the Working Party was preparing standards were pistacchios, dried figs, dried apricots and dates. Standards for these products were also being elaborated by the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables. The Commission noted that the standards being developed by the UNECE Working Party were, unlike the Codex standards, graded quality standards, and stressed the need for ensuring that the minimum requirements of both sets of standards should not be in conflict with each other. In this connection, the Commission noted that the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables had expressed the view at its last session that it would be desirable for the UNECE to have regard to the minimum requirements for these products which would be established by the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables.
57. The Commission noted the further progress which had been made by the Working Party in developing European standards during the course of the year.
58. The Commission had before it a report prepared by the FAO Secretariat on the activities of the IOOC.
Table Olives
59. The Commission noted that the delegation of the USA was rapporteur for table olives within the framework of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables and that very substantial progress had been made at the Eighteenth Session of the IOOC in eliminating many of the areas of disagreement between the US draft and the standard for table olives which had been adopted by the IOOC. The presence at the session of a US expert on table olives had greatly facilitated the discussions and it was agreed that the text adopted at the Eighteenth Session of the IOOC should be submitted to the Sixth Session of the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables in the Codex Format. It was the intention of the IOOC to make available to the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables any comments on the draft received from Member Countries of the Council. The Commission expressed its appreciation of the excellent cooperation which had been afforded by the IOOC in the development of a draft Codex standard for table olives.
Olive Oil
60. The IOOC also considered at its Eighteenth Session the Step 5 Codex standard for olive oil, together with the methods of analysis endorsed by the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling. The Council had been generally in agreement with the standard and Member Countries of the Council would be furnishing information and comments on the text for consideration by the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils at Step 7. It was the intention of the Secretariat of the Council that further comments should be specifically sought from Member Countries of the Council at Step 6, should the Commission approve the standard at its Sixth Session.
61. The Commission had before it a report which had been prepared by Technical Committee 34 of the ISO. The ISO representative briefly reviewed the contents of the report which set out the activities of ISO in the field of methods of sampling and analysis, handling, transportation and storage of food products. The Commission noted that ISO was also elaborating specifications in respect of spices and condiments. The ISO representative drew particular attention to the close collaboration which existed between this Organization and the Food Standards Programme.
62. The Commission had before it a report prepared by the Secretariat of the Commission of the EEC which set out the present state of the work of the Community in the field of harmonization of food legislation. The report indicated that general regulations covering packaging material, dietetic foods, labelling, preserves and canned food, and sampling procedures were in the course of preparation. It also summarized the state of the work within the Commission of the Community on food additives, and on commodities or commodity groups. The EEC representative indicated that he was not in a position at this time to give a clear indication of when the Community regulations referred to in the report would come into effect in view of the fact that this subject was presently under discussion within the Community.
63. The Commission had before it a paper which had been prepared by the Secretariat of the OECD, summarizing the standardization activities of the OECD in the field of fresh fruits and vegetables, and livestock products. The Commission noted the close cooperation which existed between the UNECE and OECD in the field of fresh fruit and vegetable standards. The Commission noted that the purpose of the OECD Scheme for the Application of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Standards was to achieve the common interpretation of the European standards elaborated by the UNECE, as well as the harmonization of quality control methods. The Commission observed that under the new procedure recently put into effect, the Scheme was open to all countries, including those which were not Members of FAO. The Commission noted the progress being made by the OECD in the development of interpretative brochures for many of the European standards for fresh fruits and vegetables. The Commission was also informed of the progress being made within the framework of the OECD in endeavouring to establish an equivalence between the international standards for fresh fruits and vegetables (ECE standards) and North American standards, particularly in regard to apples and pears. It was noted that certain countries of the southern hemisphere had participated as observers in these discussions and that progress had been made in broadening the scope of certain standards in order to bring them more into conformity with the requirements of international trade. Note was also taken of the work being done by the OECD on the standardization of packaging for fresh fruits and vegetables.
64. The progress report made available by the OECD drew attention to the close cooperation which existed between OECD and the Codex Committee on Meat and Meat Products. The OECD had elaborated A Descriptive System for Carcasses of Bovine and Porcine Species, as well as a Draft Code of Sanitary Regulations for International Trade in Slaughter Stock and Fresh Meat. These documents had been made available to the Codex Committee on Meat and Meat Products in the development of its work.
65. The Commission had before it a report which had been prepared by the Secretariat of the Council of Europe (Partial Agreement). The Commission expressed its interest in the work of the Council of Europe (Partial Agreement) in the field of migration of chemicals from packaging materials and also in the field of flavourings. The Commission looked forward to receiving in due course the recommendations of the Council of Europe (Partial Agreement) in these two fields.
66. The Commission requested the Secretariat to prepare for subsequent sessions of the Commission a report on work being undertaken within FAO and WHO which would be of interest or related to the activities of the FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
