AD-HOC TASK FORCE ON ANIMAL FEED MEETING IN MAY

UNCLAS ROME 000620

SIPDIS


STATE FOR OES/ETC - NEUMANN, EB/TPP/BTT - MALAC
AND IO/EDA - KOTOK
USDA FOR FAS - REICH AND HUGHES
AND FSIS ESCARBOUGH

FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES FOR FOOD AND
AGRICULTURE

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR ETRD FAO
SUBJECT: AD-HOC TASK FORCE ON ANIMAL FEED MEETING IN MAY
2004


REF: (A) 03 ROME 2210, (B) 03 ROME 5197
(C) 03 STATE 301407


1. SUMMARY: THIS IS A BACKGROUND MESSAGE FOR THE SUBJECT
MEETING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 17-19, 2004 IN
COPENHAGEN. THIS TASK FORCE IS DRAFTING A CODEX CODE OF
GOOD PRACTICE FOR ANIMAL FEEDING. THE LANGUAGE IN THE
DRAFT CODEX DOCUMENT INCLUDES PARAGRAPHS THAT ARE NOT
CONSISTENT WITH US APPROACHES AND DO NOT REFLECT
COMPROMISE LANGUAGE THAT WAS REACHED BILATERALLY BETWEEN
THE EU AND THE US.


2. THE MOST RECENT FAO MEETING HELD ON THIS SUBJECT WAS
THE JOINT INTERNATIONAL FEED INDUSTRY FEDERATION
(IFIF)/FAO CONFERENCE ON FEED SAFETY, ROME, OCTOBER 29-
31, 2003. ROY BARRETT, FSTSD, FAS AND EDITH KENNARD, US
CODEX OFFICE ATTENDED. THE CONFERENCE PROVIDED AN
OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE CODEX CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE
FOR ANIMAL FEEDING CURRENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE

CODEX AD-HOC TASK FORCE ON ANIMAL FEEDING, AS WELL AS OF
FEED SAFETY AND CONTROL PRACTICES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY
THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY
IN REGARD TO FEED ADDITIVES, CONTAMINANTS, AND BSE. FAO
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW AN INTERNATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE FOR
ANIMAL FEEDING SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WERE ALSO DISCUSSED.


3. DURING THIS MEETING IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE
CONTINUES TO BE CONFUSION ABOUT THE TEXT THAT IS BEING
DISCUSSED. IN PARTICULAR, PARAGRAPHS 11, 12, AND 13 OF
THE DRAFT CODE DEALING WITH LABELING AND TRACEABILITY OF
FEEDSTUFFS WERE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL AT THE MOST
RECENT CODEX COMMISSION MEETING (ROME 2003). THE US AND
THE EU HAD DEVELOPED JOINTLY, COMPROMISE LANGUAGE, BUT
THIS HAD NOT BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE DRAFT CODEX CODE OF
PRACTICE. IT WAS AGREED THAT COMMENTS ON THESE
PARAGRAPHS SHOULD BE RECEIVED IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT
AD-HOC TASK FORCE MEETING TO HE HELD IN COPENHAGEN IN 17-
19 MAY 2004.


4. PRIOR TO THE SUBJECT MAY MEETING INVOLVED US
AGENCIES NEED TO REVIEW THEIR POSITION ON THIS CODE WITH
THE RELEVANT EU OFFICES AND IN LIGHT OF THE BSE CASE IN
THE US.


5. THE CODEX SECRETARIAT FOR THE CODEX AD-HOC TASK
FORCE
ON ANIMAL FEED STRESSED TO BARRETT/KENNARD THAT PRIOR TO
THE COPENHAGEN MEETING THERE WILL NEED TO BE SIGNIFICANT
OUTREACH EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT ASIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN
COUNTRIES AGREE WITH ANY COMPROMISED TEXT.

HALL

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2004ROME00620 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED