Specialized Section on Standardization of Dry and Dried Produce (Fruit)

15-18 June 2004, Geneva
PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FIFTY-FIRST SESSION
to be held in the Palais des Nations, Geneva,
commencing at 10.00 hrs on Tuesday, 15 June 2004*

Note by the secretariat:  Document numbers in square brackets refer to documents expected but not received at the time of the preparation of the agenda, and may only be available at the meeting as room documents. However, as soon as they are received they will also be made available on the home page of the Agricultural Standards Unit.

*Informal Working Groups have the possibility to meet on Monday 14 June 2004. The secretariat will send out further information closer to the meeting.

PROPOSED TIME TABLE

 Explanatory notes

Item 1: Adoption of the agenda     TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/1

According to the Commission's Rules of Procedure, the first item on the provisional agenda shall be the adoption of the agenda.

Item 2: Matters of interest arising since the last session    TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/2

Delegations will be informed about the work of interest that has taken place in different groups within and outside UNECE.

3: Revision of the UNECE Standard for Dates     [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/3 (France)]

A proposal is expected from France with contributions from Germany and the United States.

4: Review of UNECE Recommendations

See trade/agr/standard/dry/dry_e.html for the recommendations in force

(a) Inshell Almonds     [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/4]

(b) Pistachio Kernels and Peeled Pistachio Kernels      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/5]

(c) Inshell Pistachios     [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/6]

These recommendations will finish their trial periods in 2004 and should therefore be reviewed by the Specialized Section.

Item 5: Draft new UNECE Standards

(a) Blanched Almonds     TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/7 (Spain)

(b) Inshell Macademia Nuts and Macademia Kernels      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/8 (United States)]

(c)Inshell Peanuts and Peanut Kernels      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/9 (United States)]

(d) Inshell Pecans and Pecan Kernels      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/10 (United States)]

(e) Dried Peaches     TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/11 (Spain)

(f) Dried Peppers      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/12 (Greece, Spain)]

(g) Dried Tomatoes      [TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2004/13 (United States, Spain)]

These items were agreed at the last session and by the Working Party for the future work of the Specialized Section. Draft standards or information about progress on these standards are expected from the different rapporteurs.

Simplification of the provisions of the standards

During the development of the interpretative brochure for hazelnuts comments were made by some delegations that the provisions especially for tolerances in UNECE standards are complicated and could be simplified. The Specialized Section is invited to discuss this issue.

Elaboration of a sampling plan review of the work done by the OECD Scheme

The Secretariat will inform the Specialized Section on any progress made on this issue by the OECD Scheme.

Item 8: UNECE General conditions of sale for dry (shelled and unshelled) and dried fruit ECE/AGRI/41 (Secretariat) (copies to be distributed at the session)

Item 9: Cooperation with the OECD Scheme

The secretariat will inform the Specialized Section about the progress made on the issues discussed at the last session (see TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2003/15, paras 24-28)

Item 10: Application of UNECE Standards

The Specialized Section will be informed on the status of application of UNECE standards.

Item 11: Capacity building for the application of quality standards

(a) Report on a seminar organized by the secretariat in Moldova.

(b) Information about other capacity building activities

Item 12: Other business

Item 13: Future work and meetings

(a) Date and place of the next session

The next session of the Specialized Section has been tentatively planned to take place from 13-17 June 2005.

(b) Future work

A draft agenda for the next meeting including the tasks to be accomplished will be annexed to the report of the Specialized Section.

(c) Preparation of the next session of the Working Party

Item 14: Election of officers

According to the Commission's Rules of Procedure and established practice, the Meeting is expected to elect a Chair and a vice-chair. At the last session the Specialized Section elected Mr. B. Cauquil (France) as Chairman and Mr. P. Marzabal (Spain) as Vice-Chairman.

Item 15: Adoption of the report

The Specialized Section will adopt the report of its fifty-first session on the basis of a draft prepared by the secretariat.

Note by the Secretariat

Contributions should be sent to the secretariat either on diskette by mail to:

Food Standards Officer
UNECE Trade Development and Timber Division
Office 432, Palais des Nations
1211 Geneva 10

Tel: (41) 22 917 2450          Fax: (41) 22 917 0629

or by e-mail: agristandards@unece.org

Meeting documentation will be available on our homepage:       http://www.unece.org.unecedev.colo.iway.ch/trade/agr/welcomee.htm