HEALTH-RELATED LIMITS FOR CERTAIN SUBSTANCES
3. The Committee noted that the Codex Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants (CCFAC, 31st Session, 1999) had endorsed the Health-Related Limits for Certain Substances (Section 3.2 of CODEX STAN 108-1981, Rev. 1-1997) with the exception of the limits for Arsenic, Barium, Manganese and Selenium. The CCFAC had agreed to bring the levels for natural mineral waters into line with the WHO Guidelines on Drinking Water Quality, 2nd Edition. However, Commission at its 23rd Session noted that there had been no consensus on the endorsement of these levels and agreed that they should be returned to the Committee on Natural Mineral Waters for further consideration, followed by endorsement by the CCFAC. The Commission adopted the remaining health-related limits.[3] The Committee noted that this matter would be discussed under Item 4 of the present Agenda.
DRAFT CODE OF HYGIENIC PRACTICE FOR BOTTLED/PACKAGED DRINKING WATERS (OTHER THAN NATURAL MINERAL WATERS)
4. The Committee noted that the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (CCFH, 32nd Session, 1999) had advanced the Draft Code to Step 8 of the Procedure for final adoption by the Commission.[4]
STATUS OF CODEX TEXTS IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE TBT AGREEMENT
5. The Committee noted that this matter had been discussed by the Codex Committee on General Principles (CCGP, 14th Session, 1999) and it had been agreed that all Codex texts, including standards and their annexes were covered by the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade.[5] It was further noted that under the Agreement, countries were not obliged to implement international standards automatically, but if an international standard existed or their completion was imminent, such standards or relevant parts of them, should be used in the development of any national standards for the same products except where such international standards or relevant parts would be ineffective or inappropriate.[6]
