The 33rd session of the Coordinating Committee for Europe (CCEURO) is meeting physically this week, for the first time in five years. The Regional Coordinator for the Committee is now Germany and delegates are meeting in the country’s capital, Berlin.

The meeting opened Monday 27 May, with State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ms Silvia Bender, who welcomed delegates to the meeting and outlined Germany’s ambitions as Regional Coordinator. These are to ensure that all Members of the CCEURO region can actively contribute to Codex work at all times, to raise awareness of the important role played by Codex and food safety in general and to promote Codex standards being applied as broadly as possible in key areas – for example antimicrobial resistance. “Food safety is often not the most prominent protagonist in the political arena. But it is key for achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda,” said Ms Bender. She also underlined Codex’s role as a “key pillar of global food safety and control.”

 Ms Silvia Bender, State Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Germany, addresses CCEURO33

Steve Wearne, Chairperson of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, also addressed the plenary and encouraged discussions on the Codex Strategic Plan, which feature in this week’s agenda, and expressed appreciation for “the continuing commitment and investment of our host this week, the Government of Germany, without which we would not be able to hold this session.”

The One Health approach was the subject of the keynote address, given by Martin Cormican, Professor of Bacteriology & Microbiologist, HSE, Ireland, and entitled “One Health Approach and Food Safety – Challenges and Potentials.” He called on CCEURO Members “to share information and discuss the potential and challenges of operationalizing the One Health approach to address food safety risks,” acknowledging that while One Health has gained traction globally, challenges remain in adopting the approach, which includes “establishing or enhancing coordination mechanisms, addressing root causes of foodborne diseases, sharing cross-sectoral data, improving surveillance and food control systems, and promoting risk-based management decisions.”

The agenda for this week will address Codex work relevant to the region, updates on food safety and quality in the region, the new Codex strategic plan (2026­–2031) and use and impact of Codex standards in the region. The establishment of a means to monitor use and impact of Codex standards is a goal of the current Codex Strategic Plan (2020–2025) and will be discussed alongside updates on and calls for engagement in the development of the next Strategic Plan.

Side events will be held to provide updates on the Codex Trust Fund and information about “leveraging national data and information for international food standards.”

Read more

CCEURO33 webpage
Video: Hilde Kruse talks about CCEURO33

© Photo credit FAO/Codex Farid El Haffar, Ilaria Taquinio