Decision making and enforcement mechanisms

The Codex Alimentarius statutes and rules of procedure provide specific information about what form the Codex decisions can take (such as Standards, Guidelines and Codes of Practice etc.), and on how decisions are made. The elaboration of Codex standards follows a stepwise procedure to ensure that all relevant parties, including governments, professional and consumer organisations and other Codex Committees that may have an interest in the content of a standard have several opportunities to express their opinion (Fig. 12.1). Typically, the need for a draft standard for a contaminant in foods will be recognised by the CCFAC as a result of a discussion in the Committee. Such a discussion will often be based on a Position Paper produced by one or more Member States that can provide particular experience or expertise on the problem. The CCFAC Chairman and the Codex Secretariat will ensure that this Member State or states, sometimes supported by a drafting group, will provide a draft standard as basis for the further, more formal work. The draft standard will be sent for comments to the parties concerned and subsequently discussed first time in the CCFAC on step 3. 

Step 1 The Codex Alimentarius Commission decides to elaborate a Codex Standard, and which Codex Committee shall undertake the work. 

The Codex Secretariat arranges for the preparation of the proposed draft Standard. 

The proposed draft Standard is circulated by the secretariat to Codex Member countries and international organisations for comment. 

The Codex Alimentarius Statutes contain provisions for voting, and each Member has one vote. Decisions of the Commission may be taken by a majority of the votes cast. However, traditionally much time and effort is spent to reach decisions by consensus, and in the large majority of cases these efforts are successful, leading to sustainable and durable standards. This principle has been endorsed several times recently, the latest in the FAO Conference on International Food Trade beyond 2000 Science-based Decisions, Harmonisation, Equivalence and Mutual Recognition in Melbourne in October 1999.7 

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