2. The Session was opened by the Chairman of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Mr.Thomas Billy. Mr. Billy noted that the most recent 47th Session of the Executive Committee of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Geneva, 28-30 June 2000) expressed its unanimous appreciation of his initiative, in collaboration with the Vice-Chairpersons of the Commission, in drawing up an Action Plan to address many of the issues facing Codex. This initiative included elements related to the frequency of Codex Alimentarius Commission meetings; the role of the Executive Committee; the leadership of Codex general, commodity and regional committees; the creation of a trust fund to assist developing country participation in Codex; increased use of the Internet; and, the structure of expert consultative bodies. Mr. Billy concluded his remarks by wishing the Codex Committee on Processed Fruits and Vegetables the utmost success in its deliberations.
