4. The Executive Committee welcomed the report of the Secretariat on financial and budgetary matters and expressed its appreciation to the parent bodies for their efforts in maintaining high priority budget support for the work of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The Executive Committee also noted and expressed its appreciation for the significant financial contribution provided by host governments to the work of the programme by hosting Codex Committee sessions and providing essential documentation.
5. Several Members of the Executive Committee expressed concern that priority funding should be assured for the Commission’s principal scientific advisory bodies, including the proposed new body which had been recommended by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene to consider the evaluation of food microbiological risks, and additional meetings of JECFA to consider matters relating to food intolerance and allergies. The Executive Committee was advised that funding for JECFA had been assured on the basis of six-monthly meetings over the next biennium and that consultations were under way between FAO and WHO as to the nature of the group to be established on the evaluation of food microbiological risks, but that funding was assured. Several Members drew attention to the need for the reports of JECFA and JMPR to be made available more expeditiously.
6. A question was raised concerning the historical basis for cost-sharing in the Codex budget. It was reported that the official cost-sharing arrangements had been in effect since the 1970’s with FAO providing 75% of the core cost of the Codex budget and WHO 25%. FAO provided an additional contribution which raised its total share to around 80%.
7. The Executive Committee noted that restrictions on the length of Codex Committee reports were creating difficulties in transparency and consistency of decision-making. Noting that the cost of documentation had been significantly reduced in recent years, it encouraged Codex Committees to ensure that reports were sufficiently detailed to allow a full understanding of the decisions reached and the reasons behind these decisions. It was also suggested that references to the basic scientific information which underpinned Codex Committees’ recommendations should also be included wherever possible.
8. The Executive Committee welcomed the initiative to support the work of Codex Contact Points in developing Member countries through seminars and workshops. In response to a question, it was noted that support to developing Member countries for training and information on risk analysis was being undertaken by FAO and WHO in their Regular Programmes, the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme and under Trust Fund Projects. The Executive Committee requested the Secretariat to provide a description and an estimate of this support and for activities undertaken in developing Member countries on food control in general, in its next report to the Commission.
