JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME
CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION
Twenty-second Session
Geneva, 23 – 28 June 1997

NOTE: This report includes Codex Circular Letter CL 1996/6 - FICS

The report of the fourth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS) is attached. It will be considered by the Twenty-second Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission in Geneva from 23 – 28 June 1997.

MATTERS FOR ADOPTION BY THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

1.   Draft Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food at Step 8; ALINORM 97/30, paras. 4 – 6 and Appendix 2.

Governments wishing to propose amendments or to comment on the above matters should do so in writing in conformity with the Guide to the Consideration of Standards at Step 8 of the Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards Including Consideration of Any Statments Relating to Economic Impact (Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual, Ninth Edition, pages 33 – 35) to the Chief, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy, not later than 1 April 1997.

2.   Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems at Step 5; ALINORM 97/30, paras. 7 – 9 and Appendix 3.

Governments wishing to submit comments regarding the implications which the proposed draft Guidelines or any provisions thereof may have for their economic interest should do so in writing in conformity with the Uniform Procedure for the Elaboration of Codex Standards and Related Texts (at Step 5) (Codex Alimentarius Procedural Manual, Ninth Edition, pages 27 – 29) to the Chief, Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, FAO, Via delle Terme di Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy, not later than 1 April 1996.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The fourth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND/OR THE COMMISSION:

• Agreed to advance the draft Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food to the Commission for adoption at Step 8 (para. 6);

• Agreed to advance the proposed draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems to the Executive Committee for adoption at Step 5 (para. 8);

• Agreed that the Australian Secretariat would prepare a discussion paper on the feasibility of developing Codex-wide guidelines and criteria with respect to a Generic Format for Official Certificates for consideration at its 5th Session (para. 24); and,

• Agreed that a discussion paper on Guidelines on Food Import Control Systems would be developed by the Codex Secretariat, in cooperation with Mexico, for consideration at its 5th Session (para. 31).

OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION

• Agreed that a revised version of the proposed draft Guidelines on the Principal Elements in an Electronic Documentation System would be prepared by Australia at Step 2, together with additional information, for circulation and comment at Step 3 (para. 13);

• Agreed that the proposed draft Guidelines on the Application of the ISO 9000 Series to Food Inspection and Certification Systems be revised under the direction of the Codex Secretariat at Step 2, in cooperation with France, for comment at Step 3 (paras. 17 – 18);

• Agreed to return the proposed draft Guidelines for the Development of Agreements Between Exporting and Importing Countries for redrafting by the United States at Step 2, followed by circulation for comment at Step 3 (para. 20);

• Agreed to forward the proposed draft Model Certificate for the Certification of Fish and Fishery Products to the Codex Committee on Fish and Fishery Products for its consideration and further elaboration (para. 24);

• Decided to discuss the implications of deleting the phrase “or risk of contamination” from the Principles for Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification at its next Session (para. 26); and,

• Suggested that the Codex Secretariat should arrange for the further development of a document concerning Development of Objective Criteria for Assessing the Competence of Testing Laboratories Involved in the Official Import and Export Control of Foods, with the understanding that the Codex Committee on Methods of Analysis and Sampling would be responsible for its further elaboration (paras. 28 – 29).

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction and Opening of the Session

Adoption of the Agenda

Matters Referred from Codex Committees

Draft Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food

Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems

Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Principal Elements in an Electronic Documentation System

Proposed Draft Guidelines on the Application of the ISO 9000 Series to Food Inspection and Certification Systems

Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Development of Agreements Between Exporting and Importing Countries

Other Business and Future Work

- Proposed Draft Model Certificate for the Certification of Fish and Fishery Products

- Matters Referred from the Codex Alimentarius Commission

- Development of Objective Criteria for Assessing the Competence of Testing Laboratories Involved in the Official Import and Export Control of Foods

- Guidelines on Food Import Control Systems

Date and Place of Next Session

LIST OF APPENDICES

1. List of Participants

2. Draft Guidelines for the exchange of Information Between Countries on Rejections of Imported Food

3. Proposed Draft Guidelines for the Design, Operation, Assessment and Accreditation of Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems