Argentina
57. The delegation of Argentina stated its position regarding the participation of consumers in Codex activities at national and international level. It reiterated the position that it had expressed at the last session of the Commission in Rome, which was that it was not for the governments or international organizations to find funding for the participation of these non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at meetings. The delegation of Argentina valued the important participation and contribution of consumer organizations in the preparation of Codex documents and in the programmes of food control in its country.
Bolivia
58. The delegation of Bolivia stated that the document it had presented contained a full report on the participation of consumers in its National Codex Committee. It considered it important that consumers should be included in National Codex Committees and national delegations attending Codex committee meetings and that they should participate in events disseminating Codex activities.
Brazil
59. The delegation of Brazil stated that the document it had presented contained a complete report on the participation of consumers in the National Codex Committee of Brazil. It stressed that, from a legal and official point of view, consumers were fully integrated into the activities of the National Committee and its technical groups, including participation in courses and in the definition of national positions for meetings of the Codex committees. The Committee noted that the difficulties experienced by consumers in achieving greater participation were of a technical and financial nature and depended on the support of the body coordinating the National Committee for participation in its meetings.
Colombia
60. The delegation of Colombia informed the Committee that the country's most representative national consumer associations had their place in the National Codex Committee. Another recently formed association would be invited to future meetings with Observer status. In addition, one of the organizations participating in the work of the National Committee had a daily slot on an official television channel which would be used to publicize Codex activities relating to food safety.
Cuba
61. The delegation of Cuba informed the Committee that it had a recognized institution that was a member of Consumers International. Cuba also had a policy to protect consumers and a corresponding Ministry, with policies and regulations whose implementation was being actively pursued in all ministries, institutions and other sectors of the economy. In addition, a training programme had been initiated with the organizations promoting the consumer protection policy.
El Salvador
62. The Delegation of El Salvador informed the Committee that consumers were represented and had participated in the National Codex Committee, with right of speech and vote, since its establishment by Executive Decree in 1994. The representations were both governmental and non governmental.
Guatemala
63. The delegation of Guatemala informed the Committee that, with the re-activation of the National Codex Committee, there was active participation on the part of both consumers and professional associations that provided technical support for the activities of the National Committee.
Honduras
64. The delegation of Honduras reported that a Consumer Protection Committee had existed for seven years and had been part of the National Codex Committee for some two years. However, there had been little consumer participation in the elaboration of standards because of a general lack of technical expertise. The support of the universities had been sought to develop courses on food quality and safety that would help to enhance consumer participation in the work of the National Committee.
Nicaragua
65. The delegation of Nicaragua informed the Committee of the League of Consumers of Nicaragua (LIDECONIC) which was affiliated to Consumers International and which participated in the elaboration of national standards and other activities of the National Codex Committee. A workshop on Codex standards on food labelling had been organized the previous year for primary school teachers, through LIDECONIC/Consumers International, to raise awareness among children. The delegation of Nicaragua acknowledged the work that LIDECONIC was conducting to facilitate the application of national standards based on Codex standards.
Peru
66. The delegation of Peru indicated that the document it had presented contained information on the participation of consumers in its National Codex Committee. The Committee noted the existence of a general Law on Consumer Protection and that two associations were actively involved in the National Committee, one of these specialized in child nutrition and working closely with the Ministry of Health in thematic areas related to school feeding.
Dominican Republic
67. The delegation of the Dominican Republic informed the Committee that, at the instigation of the National Committee, meetings had been held with non-governmental consumer organizations. The Committee was also informed of the existence of a Dominican League of Consumers comprising various non-governmental organizations and recognized by Presidential Decree. These were represented in the National Committee and the technical subcommittees.
Uruguay
68. The delegation of Uruguay stated that the document it had presented contained information on the participation of consumers in its National Codex Committee. The Committee took note of the adoption of a Law on Consumer Relations regulated by Decree 244/000 of 2000. Two associations had so far applied for registration; one had been registered and the other was in the process of registration.
Consumers International
69. The Observer of Consumers International expressed his overall support for the criteria to be used as measurable objectives for the evaluation reports on the participation of consumers in the work of Codex at national, regional and international level, as well as the monitoring of information at regional level by the CCLAC. Consumer organizations were ready and willing to participate in the Codex processes, providing input and closely following developments so that these might be useful to consumers and the community. It was the conviction of the consumer protection organizations of Latin America that the delegates of governments of the Region should attend Codex meetings and events with their own funding, considering it highly inappropriate that their participation should be financed or sponsored by corporate or commercial interests or for purposes of financial gain, which could undermine the credibility of independent technical and scientific criteria.
70. In addition to the above, consumer organizations involved in the National Codex Committees should be demonstrably independent of industrial or corporate interests or financing, if there is to be genuine representation of consumer interests. The consumer organizations and associations of Latin America and the Caribbean were of the view that, to ensure proper representation of consumer interests, the governments should provide support to include consumer representatives in the National Committee and cover the expenses of such participation.
71. The Committee debated the possibility of providing financial support to the representatives of consumer organizations so that they could participate in the meetings of the Codex committees as members of the national delegations. The Committee agreed that this proposal was not viable given the economic difficulties that countries had in funding the participation of their own official delegates.
