1. The Sixteenth Session of the Codex Committee on General Principles was held from 23-27 April 2001 in Paris at the kind invitation of the French Republic. The Session was chaired by Mrs. Catherine Geslain-Laneelle, Director-General, Direction Générale de l'Alimentation. It was attended by 248 delegates and observers representing 60 Members Countries and 30 international organizations. A complete list of participants is attached as Appendix I.
2. The Session was opened by Mr Jean Glavany, Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, who highlighted the importance of Codex Alimentarius work to ensure fair practices in international trade. He recalled the importance of the precautionary principle in Europe and the need to establish a clear and transparent framework for its application at the national and international level, and noted that this was a major issue for consideration by the present session. The Minister also pointed out that risk management should take into account other legitimate factors in addition to health protection such as environmental aspects, animal welfare and consumer concerns.
3. Mr. Glavany stressed the need to improve the participation of developing countries in Codex work and expressed the support of the French government for the creation of a trust fund managed by FAO and invited other member governments to contribute as France intended to do with a contribution of 150,000 Euros.
