Review of Codex Subsidiary Bodies[9]
23. The Executive Committee noted the recommendations submitted to the 112th Session of FAO Council as presented in the working document. It was further informed that a Working Group established under FAO Council to consider the detailed recommendations on the review of FAO Statutory Bodies had recommended that Codex move to a more flexible structure and that committees adjoined sine die or without immediate work programmes be eliminated. The Working Group had recommended that standards problems arising in different areas should be referred to relevant Codex committees or to ad hoc task forces or groups as appropriate.
24. Several members expressed concern that the proposals to eliminate bodies would not have a genuine cost reduction benefit for the parent organizations as the major costs of the Codex Programme were in other areas. It was stressed that any alternative mechanisms to the Codex subsidiary body structure would have to have the same attributes of inclusiveness, transparency, cost efficiency and responsiveness as the current arrangement. The Executive Committee felt that the elimination of subsidiary bodies or the enlargement of their mandates needed considerable reflection. Several members expressed concern at the recommendation to reduce further the length of Commission sessions in view of the large amount of individual decisions which needed to be taken during the course of any given session of the Commission.
25. The Executive Committee decided to transmit the document to the Commission.
Animal Feeding and Food Safety
26. The Executive Committee was informed that, at the request of the Director-General of FAO, an Expert Consultation on Animal Feeding and Food Safety had been held in March 1997. The Consultation has prepared a draft code of practice for consideration by the Commission. It was proposed that this draft code would be submitted to the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene for consideration through the usual elaboration procedures with a view to their adoption at a future session of the Commission.
