G/SPS/GEN/1790  
 
15 June 2020 
(20-4217) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original: English  
 
 
INFORMATION ON ACTIV ITIES  
COMMUNICATION FROM T HE CODEX ALIMENTARIU S COMMISSION (CODEX)  
The following communication, received on 12 June  2020, is being c irculated at the request of 
the Codex  secretariat.  
 
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1  CODEX MEETINGS HELD SINCE THE LAST SESSION OF THE SPS COMMITTEE (2 019)  
1.1  51st Session of the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene (4 – 8 November 2019):  
1.1.  The Committee  concluded work on the development of a Code of practice on food allergen 
management for food business operators and the revision of the General Principles of Food Hygiene  
(CXC 1 -1969). These texts are submitted for final adoption by the 43rd Session of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (CAC43). The Committee continues work on the development of Guidance 
for the management of biological foodborne outbreaks and has proposed new work on guidelines for 
the use and reuse of water in food production for approval by CAC43. the report of the session can 
be downloaded from the CCCF51 webpage .  
1.2  7th Session of the Ad hoc  Codex Intergovernmental Task Force on Antimicrobial 
Resistance (9 – 13 December 2019):  
1.2.  The Task Force continues progressing work on the revision of the Code of practice to contain 
and minimize foodborne antimicrobial resistance CXC 61 -2005) (COP) and the development of 
Guidelines for the monitoring and surveillance of foodborne antimicrobial resistance. TFAMR07 was 
largely devoted to revise the COP which is proposed for preliminary adoption by CAC43 and 
finalization at the next session of the Task Force. T he report of the session can be downloaded from 
the TFAMR07 webpage .  
2  WORK CONTINUITY OF THE CODEX ALIMENTARIUS COMMISSION AND ITS S UBSIDIARY 
BODIES  (2020)  
2.1  Subsidiary bodies  
2.1.  Due to the COVID -19 pandemic, all Codex meetings in the first half of 2020 have been 
rescheduled to 2021. These meetings include the  Codex Committees on Food Additives ( CCFA), 
General Principles ( CCGP), Pesticide Residues ( CCPR), Contam inants in Foods ( CCCF), Food Import 
and Export Inspection and Certification Systems ( CCFICS ), Methods of Analysis and Sampling ( CCMAS ) 
and Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods ( CCRVDF ).  
2.2.  The Codex Secretariat is working closely with the host country secretariats and chairpersons 
of these committees as well as the lead countries of electronic working groups (EWGs) established 
under these committees to ensure work continuity while maintaining the Codex principles of 
inclusiveness and transparency.  
2.3.  Work continues in 2020 through the EWGs established by the respective C ommittees and  within 
the mandate s given at their last session. Working documents and other relevant information are G/SPS/GEN/1790  
 
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  available on the respective committee pages on the Codex website. Deadline for comments on 
various matters under consideration in the different committee s have been extended to allow further 
comments and consideration in the EWGs with a view to optimize discussion and progression of the 
documents at the rescheduled meetings in 2021. Deadlines for request for comments on different 
matters and the correspond ing documents can be found on the Codex website (circular letters ). 
Regular updates on the status of work of these Committees are published on their dedicated 
webpa ges. The lead countries of EWGs will communicate with their membership (Codex member 
countries and observer organizations who joined the different EWGs) on the modalities of work that 
will be followed in their respective EWGs.  
2.4.  The Codex Secretariat is in consultation with host country secretariats and chairpersons of 
committees scheduled for the second half of 2020 on their  rescheduling  as the situation with the 
pandemic will not allow physical Codex meetings to be held .  
2.5.  The next session  of Codex Committee for Spices and Culinary Herbs ( CCSCH ) has already been 
rescheduled to 2021. Information r egarding the Committees on Food Labelling ( CCFL), Food Hygiene 
(CCFH), Nutrition and Food for Special Dietary Uses ( CCNFSDU ) and the Task Force on AMR ( TFAMR ) 
will be provided as new dates are confirmed. Updat ed information on Codex meetings is provided in 
the Codex calendar for 2021  available on the Codex website .  
2.2  Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC) and Executive Committee of the Codex 
Alimentarius Commission (CCEXEC)  
2.6.  The physical meetings of the 43rd Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (CAC43) and 
the 79th Session of the Executive Committee (CCEXEC79) scheduled for June/July 2021 have been 
cancelled. A virtual meeting of  CCEXEC 79 and CAC43 may take place following consultation with 
Codex members and Members of CCEXEC. If held, both meetings will have an abridged agenda on 
key aspects of the Codex work within their own mandates , notably adoption of texts and approval 
of new work for CAC43 and the assessment of the work progress of Codex standards and related 
texts in subsidiary bodies of CAC (critical review) for CCEXEC79.  
2.7.  Legal, procedural and practical aspects of holding virtual meetings of CAC and CCEXEC is still 
being discuss ed between FAO, WHO, the Codex Secretariat and the Chairperson and 
Vice-chairpersons of CAC/CCEXEC. Relevant information will be made available to Codex members 
and observers in due course through the Codex website and official correspondence through the 
Codex Electronic Distribution List (Codex -L).  
3  OTHER CODEX RELATED ACTIVITIES  OF RELEVANCE TO THE  WTO/SPS  
3.1  World Food Safety Day  
3.1.  The second World Food Safety Day ( WFSD02 ) was celebrated on 7 June 2020 to draw attention 
and inspire action to help prevent, detect and manage foodborne risks, contributing to food security, 
human health, economic prosper ity, agriculture, market access, tourism and sustainable 
development.   
3.2.  WFSD 02 reinforced the call to strengthen commitment to scale up food safety made by the 
Addis Ababa Conference and the Geneva Forum in 2019 under the umbrella of "The Future of 
Food Safety". FAO and WHO also facilitate d Member States efforts to celebrate the World Food 
Safety  Day. 
3.3.  The theme "Food safety, everyone 's business " has action ed campaign s to promote global food 
safety awareness and call upon countries and decision -makers, the pr ivate sector, civil society, 
UN organizations and the general public to take action.  
4  CODEX COVID -19 WEBSITE  
4.1.  A dedicated page on COVID -19 and Codex Alimentarius has been included in the Codex website 
addressing, amongst others, the impact of COVID -19 on Codex work and existing Codex texts that 
could assist countries with food trade amidst the pandemic.  
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