42. The Delegation of the United Kingdom expressed the view of the European Union countries that, in order to improve consumer participation, the debates in all Codex committees should be made as transparent as possible and that it would be useful for all texts to include a paragraph summarizing their implications for consumers. These views were supported by the Observer from Consumers International.
43. The Observer from Consumers International pointed out that progress had been made as regards involvement of consumers but that many difficulties, for example resource constraints, remained for their organizations to participate actively in Codex work at the national level. In particular, it was important for consumers representatives to be informed of the outcome of Codex sessions; several delegations indicated that such feedback information meetings were current practice in their countries.
44. The Observer from Consumers International suggested that in view of the complexity of Codex documents, it would be useful to include a summary outlining the main implications for consumers. The Secretariat indicated that further efforts would be made to identify essential issues in Codex texts more clearly in the elaboration process, especially in the CLs, but that the Commission had recommended to limit explanatory material to the minimum necessary. The Committee also noted that Codex sessions were open to the public, with the exception of CCEXEC and that documents were available on the Internet[7].
45. The Observer from Consumers International reiterated its earlier proposal for the inclusion of consumers representatives as observers in the Executive Committee. Some delegations felt that this question required careful consideration as to its implications, and pointed out that the Executive Committee and the Committee on General Principles had already discussed this proposal and taken a decision which was confirmed by the Commission; therefore it did not appear necessary to reopen the debate at this stage. The Delegation of Sweden asked for clarification on which type of observer status Consumers International wished at CCEXEC, and the Observer indicated that they would welcome any steps in the sense of transparency.
46. While discussing this issue, some delegations sought clarification on whether the Executive Committee, as a subsidiary body of the Commission, could not admit observers as specified in Rule VII.3. The Secretariat recalled that the status of CCEXEC was defined in Article 6 of the Statutes and its composition in Rule III, while other subsidiary bodies were governed by Article 7 and Rule IX. In particular, membership of the CCEXEC was limited to the officers listed in Rule III. As to the participation of observers, Rule VII.3 applied only to Members of the Commission participating as observers in a Committee (such as a Coordinating Committee) and not to Non-Governmental Organizations. Some delegations expressed the view that further advice was required concerning the implications for member countries of Rule VII.3 as related to Rule III and the Committee proposed that a paper on this question should be prepared for consideration by CCGP. The Committee was also informed that the next session of the CCGP would consider the procedures for the participation of NGOs in the work of Codex.
47. Some delegations pointed out that although governments made constant efforts to involve consumers in Codex work, lack of interest or preparation on their part appeared to be an obstacle to their effective involvement. Consequently, efforts should be made by consumer representatives to develop consumer awareness and education in food legislation matters. Special emphasis should also be put on food safety matters in order to ensure better prevention in the area of foodborne diseases.
