SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The First Session of the Codex Regional Coordinating Committee for the Near East reached the following conclusions:

MATTERS FOR CONSIDERATION BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AND/OR THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION

The Regional Coordinating Committee agreed to report to the Executive Committee for approval as new work at Step 1 the following work plan: Proposed Draft Code of Practice for Street-Vended Foods (Para. 52) Proposed Draft Standard(s) for Processed Chickpea and Fava Bean (Humus and Foul-medemes)(Paras. 57-58) The Regional Coordinating Committee agreed to recommend to the 24th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission that Egypt be reappointed for a second term as Regional Coordinator for the Near East. (Paras. 61-61)

OTHER MATTERS OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION

The Regional Coordinating Committee agreed to prepare the following papers for its next session: Paper on the Organization of National Codex Contact Points and National Codex Committees of the Region (Para. 24) - Discussion Papers on: - Risk Assessment; - Application and use of HACCP, especially for imported food products; - Implications and application of the SPS and TBT Agreements (Para. 32) Working Paper on the elaboration of a Regional Standard for Microbiological Levels in Food for the Near East (Paras. 52-56) The Regional Coordinating Committee recommended that the Codex Secretariat explore the opportunity of using documents (Codex Standards) already translated into Arabic by Member countries of the Region to expedite the final publication of the Codex Alimentarius in Arabic. (Para. 59)