Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS)
| FAO/WHO ID No: | CX-733 |
| Reference: | CX/FICS |
| Terms of Reference: | (a) to develop principles and guidelines for food import and export inspection and certification systems with a view to harmonising methods and procedures which protect the health of consumers, ensure fair trading practices and facilitate international trade in foodstuffs; (b) to develop principles and guidelines for the application of measures by the competent authorities of exporting and importing countries to provide assurance where necessary that foodstuffs comply with requirements, especially statutory health requirements; (c) to develop guidelines for the utilisation, as and when appropriate, of quality assurance systems to ensure that foodstuffs conform with requirements and to promote the recognition of these systems in facilitating trade in food products under bilateral/multilateral arrangements by countries; (d) to develop guidelines and criteria with respect to format, declarations and language of such official certificates as countries may require with a view towards international harmonization; (e) to make recommendations for information exchange in relation to food import/export control; (f) to consult as necessary with other international groups working on matters related to food inspection and certification systems; and, (g) to consider other matters assigned to it by the Commission in relation to food inspection and certification systems. Quality assurance means all those planned and systematic actions necessary to provide adequate confidence that a product or service will satisfy given requirements for quality (ISO-8402 Quality - Vocabulary) |
| Status: | Active |
| Host: | Australia |
Related Circular Letters
| Code | Issued | Title | Deadline | EN | FR | ES | AR | ZH | RU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL 2010/05-FICS | 02/10 | Distribution of the Report of the Eighteenth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certificacion Systems (ALINORM 10/33/30) | 29/04/2010 |  | | |  | | |
| CL 2011/05-FICS | 02/11 | Request for proposals for future work for the CCFICS (for consideration by the 19th CCFICS – Cairn | 31/08/2011 | | | | | | |
| CL 2012/27-FICS | 08/12 | CCFICS Questionnaire on how to Assess and Manage the Performance of National Food Control Systems | 01/11/2012 | | | | | | |
| CL 2013/04-FICS | 01/13 | Distribution of the Report of the Twentieth Session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (REP13/FICS) | 30/05/2013 | | | | | | |
| CL 2016/03-FICS | 02/16 | Distribution of the report of the Twenty-second Session of the Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (REP16/FICS) | 31/05/2016 | | | | | | |
| CL 2016/26/OCS-FICS | 07/16 | Request for Comments at Step 6 on the Draft Guidance for Monitoring the Performance of National Food Control Systems | 31/01/2017 | | | | | | |
| CL 2017/51/OCS-FICS | 05/17 | Request for comments at Step 8 on the draft principles and guidelines for monitoring the performance of national food control systems | 15/06/2017 | | | | | | |
| CL 2018/51/OCS-FICS | 08/18 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the Proposed Draft Guidance on the use of Systems Equivalence | 28/09/2018 | | | | | | |
| CL 2018/52/OCS-FICS | 08/18 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the Proposed Draft Guidance on Paperless Use of electronic certificates | 28/09/2018 | | | | | | |
| CL 2018/53/OCS-FICS | 08/18 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the proposed draft guidance on regulatory approaches to third party assurance schemes in food safety and fair practices in the food trade | 28/09/2018 | | | | | | |
| CL 2018/96/OCS-FICS | 12/18 | Request for Comments at Step 5 on the Draft Principles and Guidelines for the assessment and use of voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) programmes | 31/05/2019 | | | | | | |
| CL 2019/93/OCS-FICS | 10/19 | Request for Comments at Step 6 on the Draft Principles and Guidelines for the assessment and use of voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) programmes | 31/12/2019 | | | | | | |
| CL 2020/02/OCS-FICS | 01/20 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the Proposed Draft Guidelines on recognition and maintenance of equivalence of National Food Control Systems (NFCS) | 01/05/2020 | | | | | | |
| CL 2020/03/OCS-FICS | 02/20 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the Proposed Draft Consolidated Codex Guidelines related to Equivalence | 01/05/2020 | | | | | | |
| CL 2020/01/OCS-FICS | 02/20 | Request for Comments, at Step 3, on the Proposed Draft Guidance on Paperless use of electronic certificates – (Revision of the Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and Use of Generic Official Certificates – CXG 38-2001) | 01/05/2020 | | | | | | |
| CL 2020/26/OCS-FICS | 02/20 | Request for Comments on the Draft Principles and Guidelines for the assessment and use of voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) programmes (Updated Text) | 01/05/2020 | | | | | | |
| CL 2020/41/OCS-FICS | 07/20 | Request for comments on the Recommendations included in the Discussion Paper on the Role of CCFICS with Respect to Tackling Food Fraud in the Context of Food Safety and Fair Practices in Food and Appendix 1 | 30/09/2020 | | | | | | |
| CL 2021/17/OCS-FICS | 03/21 | Request for comments, at Step 3, on the proposed draft guidelines on recognition and maintenance of equivalence of National Food Control Systems (NFCS) – Updated text | 30/04/2021 | | | | | | |
| CL 2021/18/OCS-FICS | 03/21 | Request for Comments at Step 3 on the proposed draft consolidated Codex guidelines related to equivalence | 30/04/2021 | | | | | | |
| CL 2021/16/OCS-FICS | 03/21 | Request for Comments, at Step 3, on the Proposed Draft Guidance on Paperless use of electronic certificates - (Revision to CXG 38-2001) | 30/04/2021 | | | | | | |
| CL 2021/52/OCS-FICS | 07/21 | Request for Comments, at Step 8, on the Draft Principles and Guidelines for the assessment and use of voluntary Third-Party Assurance (vTPA) programmes | 30/09/2021 | | | | | | |
| CL 2021/53/OCS-FICS | 07/21 | Request for Comments at Step 5/8 on the Proposed Draft Guidance on paperless use of electronic certificates (revised Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and Use of Generic Official Certificates (CXG 38-2001) | 30/09/2021 | | | | | | |
| CL 2022/05-FICS | 03/22 | Request for comments on Appendix A and proposals for new work on emerging issues | 30/06/2022 | | | | | | |
| CL 2022/59-FICS | 09/22 | Request for Comments on a New Work Proposal for the Development of Principles and Guidelines on the Use of Remote Audit and Verification in Regulatory Frameworks | 14/10/2022 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/09-FICS | 02/23 | Request for comments on the proposed draft guidelines on recognition and maintenance of equivalence of National Food Control Systems (NFCS) | 05/04/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/11/OCS-FICS | 04/23 | Request for comments, at Step 3, on the proposed draft guidelines on the prevention and control of food fraud. | 24/04/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/10/OCS-FICS | 0/ | Request for comments, at Step 3, on the proposed draft consolidated Codex guidelines related to equivalence | 24/04/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/12/OCS-FICS | 03/23 | Request for comments, at Step 3, on the proposed draft Principles and Guidelines on the Use of Remote Audit and Verification in Regulatory Frameworks | 24/04/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/49/OCS-FICS | 06/23 | Request for comments, at Step 5/8, on the proposed draft Guidelines on recognition and maintenance of equivalence of National Food Control Systems (NFCS) | 06/10/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/50/OCS-FICS | 06/23 | Request for comments, at Step 5/8, on the proposed draft principles and guidelines on the use of remote audit and inspection in regulatory frameworks | 06/10/2023 | | | | | | |
| CL 2023/66-FICS | 12/23 | Request for Comments on Appendix A and Proposals for New Work on Emerging Issues | 30/04/2024 | | | | | | |
| CL 2024/70-FICS | 07/24 | Request for comments, at Step 3/4, on the proposed draft consolidated Codex guidelines related to equivalence | 23/08/2024 | | | | | | |
| CL 2024/72-FICS | 07/24 | Draft revision and updating of the Principles for Traceability/Product Tracing as a Tool Within a Food Inspection and Certification System (CXG 60-2006) | 03/09/2024 | | | | | | |
| CL 2024/71-FICS | 08/24 | Request for comments, at Step 3/4, on the draft Guidelines on the Prevention and Control of Food Fraud | 03/09/2024 | | | | | | |
| CL 2024/85-FICS | 12/24 | Request for comments on Appendix A - List of new emerging global issues | 30/11/2025 | | | | | | |
| CL 2026/67-FICS | 06/26 | Request for comments at Step 3/4 on the draft guidance on establishment listing | 30/08/2026 | | | | | | |
| CL 2026/77-FICS | 07/26 | Request for comments at Step 6/7 on the draft guidelines on the prevention and control of food fraud | 31/08/2026 | | | | | | |
| CL 2026/75-FICS | 07/26 | Request for comments at Step 3/4 on the draft guidelines for standardization of the representation of sanitary attestations in official certificates | 31/08/2026 | | | | | | |
| CL 2026/73-FICS | 08/26 | Request for comments at Step 3/4 on the revised Principles for traceability/product tracing as a tool within a food inspection and certification system (CXG 60-2006) | 18/09/2026 | | | | | | |
| CL 2026/72-FICS | 08/26 | Request for comments at Step 3/4 on the draft consolidated Codex guidelines related to equivalence | 18/09/2026 | | | | | | |