8. The following six African countries attending the Third Session of the Commission : Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville), Ghana, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia, proposed that in view of the particular dietary situation of the peoples of emerging countries it would be desirable to have a Co-ordinating Committee for Africa established as soon as possible in order to study and present standards appropriate to the background, social life and purchasing power of such peoples of Africa. The Commission in the light of Rule IX. 7 recommended as a first step that the Secretariat be requested to bring to the attention of the Directors-General of FAO and WHO the proposal of the African countries. It was further requested that the Directors-General when writing to all Member Governments concerning membership of the Commission should, in the case of those countries constituting the geographical location of Africa, request their comment upon the desirability of setting up such a Co-ordinating Committee. The Directors-General would then, in accordance with Rule IX.7 of the Commission's Procedure, submit a report to the next session of the Commission's setting out the views of the African countries and the administrative and financial implications thereof. The Commission suggested that meanwhile the Secretariat should take the opportunity of the Food Technology Seminar to be held in Accra in December 1965 to give the African participants advance information on international food standards and this proposal.
9. The Commission had for consideration recommendations made by the Executive Committee at its Sixth Meeting. The Executive Committee had discussed the relationship between the Joint ECE/Codex Alimentarius Groups of Experts working on Fruit Juices and Frozen Foods and the Commission. At its Fifth Meeting the Executive Committee considered a request of the Joint ECE/Codex Alimentarius Group of Experts on Fruit Juices to examine ways and means of facilitating the progress of work on the development of standards. The Executive Committee had requested the Secretariat of the Commission to discuss with the Secretariat of ECE working arrangements to afford Governments an opportunity to comment on draft standards. The Executive Committee was of the opinion that Governments should be given the opportunity to comment before the standards had reached an advanced stage and that furthermore such standards should be referred to the Commission after the Joint Groups had considered Government comments and amended the draft standards as they thought appropriate. In the light of experience obtained from these new working arrangements the question of more frequent meetings could be considered. It was further recommended that appropriate arrangements should be made for a Joint Secretariat to be at the service of the Experts.
The Commission agreed with the proposals for improved procedures and decided that the Secretariat should put them before the Joint Groups for their agreement. These procedures, though not identical with those of the Commission for the elaboration of standards, would to all practical purposes afford Governments adequate opportunity to follow closely the development of the joint activities.
10. After completing its consideration of the progress reports of Codex Committees, as contained in Part IV of this Report, the Commission concluded that the preparation of guidelines to assist Codex Committees to operate on a uniform basis was essential. The Commission requested the Secretariat to prepare a paper on this subject and to issue it as a provisional document inviting comments from Member Governments. Comments would in turn be referred to the Codex Committee on General Principles so that recommendations could be placed before the Commission at its next session. The Commission would then determine the final form of the guidelines prior to their incorporation in the Procedural Handbook. The Commission requested the Secretariat to cover, among others, the following matters in the proposed paper:
The relevant parts of the guiding principles for Codex Committees as set out in paragraph 15 of the Report of the First Session should be incorporated with any necessary amendments.
11. The Commission had for consideration recommendations made by the Executive Committee at its Fifth and Sixth Meetings for amendments to the Rules of Procedure to remove the ambiguities in rules which had not been considered by the Working Party on the Rules of Procedure and Related Matters which was appointed at the Second Session. During the discussion of the proposed amendments, the Commission considered a proposal of the Austrian and Swiss delegations to create a second seat for Europe in the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. These Governments undertook to prepare a report on the subject. The Commission recommended that the Secretariat obtain Government comments on the report and that an analysis of these comments be placed before the first meeting of the Executive Committee in 1966. It was suggested that the Executive Committee should also consider the possibility of Coordinators for regions becoming ex officio members of the Executive Committee. After further discussion of the Executive Committee's recommendations, the Commission adopted the following amendments to the provisions of Rule II.1, 3, 4; Rule III. 1, 2; Rule IX. 5, 8 of the Rules of Procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The complete text of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission as amended appear as Appendix II to this Report. These new amendments would be placed before the Directors-General of FAO and WHO for their approval.
Key to Amendments
Rules or parts of rules deleted by the Commission are shown within [square brackets]
Rules or parts of rules added by the Commission are shown underlined
Rule II.1
The Commission shall elect a Chairman and three Vice-Chairmen from among the [representatives] delegates of the Members of the Commission; it being understood that no delegate shall be eligible without the concurrence of the head of his delegation. [Except at the first session, they shall be elected at the end of each session and remain in office until their successors are elected at the end of the following session. In the case of the first session, the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen shall be elected at the beginning of the session and shall hold office until the end of the following session.] They shall be elected at each session and shall hold office from the end of the session at which they were elected until the end of the following session. The Chairman and Vice-Chairmen shall be eligible for re-election but after having served two consecutive terms shall be ineligible to hold such office for the next succeeding term.
Rule II.3
[If neither the Chairman nor the Vice-Chairmen are able to serve, the Directors-General of FAO and WHO shall appoint a representative to act as Chairman, until new officers have been elected.] When neither the Chairman nor the Vice-Chairmen are able to serve and, on the request of the outgoing Chairman, during elections for the Chairman, the Directors-General of FAO and WHO shall appoint a staff member to act as Chairman, until either a temporary Chairman or a new Chairman has been elected. Any temporary Chairman so elected shall hold office until the Chairman or one of the Vice-Chairmen is able to serve again.
Rule II.4(a)
The Commission may appoint a Co-ordinator from among the representatives or advisers of the Members of the Commission, for any region or for any group of countries specifically enumerated by the Commission, whenever it may find, on the basis of the proposal of a majority of the countries which constitute the region or group, that work for the Codex Alimentarius in the countries concerned so requires.
Rule II.4(b)
Appointments of coordinators shall be made exclusively on the proposal of a majority of the countries which constitute the region or group of countries concerned. Coordinators shall hold office for a period of not more than three years as may be determined by the Commission in each instance and may be eligible for re-appointment for one additional term.
Rule III.1
The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairman and Vice-Chairmen of the Commission together with six further members, elected by the Commission from among the [representatives of the] Members of the Commission, one each coming from the following geographical locations: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America and Australasia; it being understood that not more than one delegate from any one country shall be a member of the Executive Committee. Elected members shall hold office for two years and shall be eligible for re-election, but after having served two successive terms shall be ineligible to hold such office for the next succeeding term.
Rule III.2
The Executive Committee shall, between sessions of the Commission, act on behalf of the Commission as its executive organ. [The Executive Committee shall in particular] In particular the Executive Committee may make proposals to the Commission regarding the general orientation and program of work of the Commission, study special problems and help implement the program as approved by the Commission. [The Executive Committee is also authorized to exercise the Commission's powers under Rule IX.1(b)1.] The Executive Committee may also exercise, when it shall deem it to be essential and subject to confirmation by the next session of the Commission, the Commission's powers under Rule IX.1(b)1, Rule IX. 5, insofar as it refers to bodies established under Rule IX.1(b)1, and Rule IX.8, insofar as it refers to the designation of the Members who shall be responsible for appointing Chairmen to subsidiary bodies established under Rule IX.1(b)1.
Rule IX.5
Subsidiary bodies may only be established by the Commission, except where otherwise provided in these Rules. Their terms of reference and reporting procedures shall be determined by the Commission, except where otherwise provided in these Rules.
Rule IX.8
The Members who shall be responsible for appointing Chairmen of subsidiary bodies established under Rule IX.1(b)1 (Codex Committees) shall be designated at each session by the Commission, except where otherwise provided in these Rules, and shall be eligible for re-designation. All other officers of subsidiary bodies shall be elected by the body concerned and shall be eligible for re-election.
12. The Commission examined the accounts for the year ending 31 December 1964 and noted that there was a carry-forward of $ 3,149 into 1965. Revenue for 1964 plus the carry-forward from 1963 had been $ 104,051 and expenditure $ 100,902. In respect of 1965 contributions pledged up to the 30 September 1965 had amounted to $ 119,410 and actual receipts including the carry-forward from 1964 amounted to $ 113,712. The Commission was pleased to note the decisions by the Executive Board and World Health Assembly of WHO to include in the Regular Program of Work and Budget of WHO commencing from 1 January 1966 provision for the WHO share of the costs of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program. Similarly, the Commission was pleased to note that the Program and Finance Committees and the Council of FAO had approved the inclusion of the FAO share of the costs of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Program in the Regular Program of Work and Budget of FAO. The remaining step in the FAO budgetary procedure was for this matter to be considered and approved by the 13th Session of the FAO Conference in November 1965. In the light of these developments and the information available concerning the Trust Fund, the Commission recommended that Trust Fund 40 should continue until such time as monies contributed in respect of 1965 had been exhausted on the provision of documents, publications and related services for the Commission. The Commission expressed its appreciation to those Governments which had been able to contribute to the Trust Fund and also for the support which Governments had in turn received from industry. The Secretariat was requested to present final accounts for the whole period of the existence of the Trust Fund to the next Session of the Commission. These accounts should indicate contributions to the Trust Fund received from individual countries.
