Codex Alimentarius

The Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) was established in 1961 under the joint auspices of the United Nations Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Its remit is to implement the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme, the twin aims of which are to protect the health of consumers and to ensure fair practices in the food trade.

The CAC, which currently comprises 172 member countries, tends to meet every year, is assisted by an Executive Committee and has the use of a small Secretariat based at the FAO headquarters in Rome. It has a relatively simple structure operating through a number of specialised committees and task forces and is supported by 3 standing expert scientific bodies convened under the auspices of FAO and WHO to generate food data and provide risk-assessment type advice:

Codex instruments are elaborated/revised by the relevant subsidiary body using an eight-step procedure, which normally involves the draft text being reviewed twice by the CAC and twice by member countries before it is finally adopted.

The Codex Alimentarius (Latin term, meaning Food Code) is the 14-volume collection of international food standards adopted by the CAC. Presented in a uniform manner it includes standards, applicable at regional or global level, for all the principal foods - whether processed, semi-processed or raw - for distribution to the consumer.

It includes provisions in respect of hygienic and nutritional quality of food, including microbiological norms, provisions for food additives and contaminants, pesticide and veterinary drug residues, labelling and presentation, and methods of analysis and sampling. It also contains provisions of an advisory nature in the form of codes of practice, guidelines and other recommended measures.

The publication of the Codex Alimentarius is intended to guide and promote the elaboration and establishment of definitions and requirements for foods, to assist in their harmonisation and, in doing so, to facilitate international trade.

Since the conclusion of the Uruguay Round in 1994 the role of Codex Alimentarius standards has been strengthened. The World Trade Organisation Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) considers that WTO members applying Codex standards meet their obligations under this Agreement.

This means that Codex standards are considered scientifically justified and are accepted as the benchmarks against which national measures and regulations are evaluated. However, Article 5.7 of the SPS Agreement acknowledges that governments can take unilateral sanitary and phytosanitary measures but only to the extent required to protect human health for which scientific justification must be demonstrated.

The Member States of the EU are all members of the CAC while the European Community is also a member in recognition of its status as a Regional Economic Integration Organisation. At Codex sessions various roles fall to the European Commission, the Presidency and the individual member states depending on the agreed breakdown of competence which is governed by the degree to which the underlying legislation is harmonised within the EU. The European Commission and the Member States attempt to agree a common position and present joint comments on issues discussed in Codex Committees that are within the competence of Community legislation.

Representation at Codex sessions is on a member country basis with delegations usually led by government officials sometimes supported by advisors drawn from industry, consumers' organisations and academic institutes. A number of accredited international government and non-government organisations also participate as observers. Officials from a number of government departments and state agencies are involved in representing Ireland at Codex sessions reflecting the mix of expertise in and responsibilities for the complex range of issues under discussion.

The Codex secretariat communicates with its member countries through a system of Codex Contact Points (CCP) (doc 24Kb) who are normally responsible for co-ordinating all Codex activities within each country.

In Ireland, the CCP function is performed by an official of the Department of Agriculture and Food (DAF) reflecting that Department's involvement in the two main areas of Codex activity - consumer health protection and fair trade practices. DAF also operates an Irish Codex Advisory Committee (ICAC) (doc 20Kb) that affords the main stakeholders an opportunity to contribute to the formulation of the official Irish stance on all Codex issues.