COMMITTEE FOR TRADE, INDUSTRY AND

ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT

 

Working Party on Standardization of

Perishable Produce and Quality Development

(Fifty-eighth session, 29 to 31 October 2002, Geneva)

 

PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION

 

to be held in the Palais des Nations, Geneva,

commencing at 10:00 hrs Tuesday, 29 October 2002*

 

Note by the secretariat: Document numbers in square brackets refer to documents expected but not received by the time of the preparation of the agenda. They might be available late or at the meeting as room documents. As soon as they are received they will also be available on the home page of the agricultural standards unit.

 

*The informal Working Groups on the Working Procedures and Internationally Harmonized Produce Coding have the possibility to meeting on Monday 28 October 2002.The secretariat will send out further information closer to the meeting.

 

 

1

Adoption of the agenda

TRADE/WP.7/2002/1

English French Russian

2

Matters of interest arising since the last session

 

 

(a)

UNECE

-���������� Committee for Trade, Industry and ����������� Enterprise Development

-���������� United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce

-���������� Working Party on Technical ������ Harmonization and Standardization ������� Policy

-���������� Working Party on Transport of �� Perishable Foodstuffs

TRADE/WP.7/2002/2

English French Russian

 

(b)

Other organizations:

-���������� Codex Alimentarius Commission and ������ Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits �������� and Vegetables

-���������� European Union

-���������� ISO/TC34/SC14

-���������� OECD Scheme for the Application of -����������� International Standards for Fruitand ����������� Vegetables

-���������� World Trade Organization

TRADE/WP.7/2002/3

English French Russian

3

Specialized Section on Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20

TRADE/WP.7/2002/8 (Latvia)

English only

 

(a)

Texts recommended for adoption as revised or new UNECE standards:

 

Annonas

Apples

Pears

Citrus Fruit

Leeks, Melons and Plums

Table Grapes

Strawberries

 

 

 

 

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.1

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.2

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.3

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.5

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.7

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.9

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.8

 

 

(b)

Texts recommended for adoption as UNECE recommendations for a one trial period:

 

Avocados

Plums

Table Grapes

Pineapples

 

 

 

 

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.4

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.7

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.9

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.10

 

(c)

Numbering system of the standards

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2001/19, para. 167

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20, paras. 123 to 129

 

TRADE/WP.7/2001/3

English French Russian

 

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/16

TRADE/WP.7/2002/4

English French Russian

 

(d)

Use of trade marks in UNECE standards

Revision to the standard layout

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20, paras 116 to 121

 

TRADE/WP.7/2002/5

English French Russian

4

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

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14

 

(a)

UNECE Standard for Inshell Walnuts

 

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, para. 18

 

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/3

English French Russian

 

(b)

Annex on determination of the moisture content for dry fruit (nuts)

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, paras. 92 to 94

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14/Add.1

 

(c)

Information concerning the joint publication of the colour chart for walnut kernels by OECD and UNECE

TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, paras. 19 to 21

5

Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes

TRADE/WP.7/GE.6/2002/15

 

(a)

Text recommended for adoption as revised UNECE Standard

TRADE/WP.7/GE.6/2002/15, paras. 29 to 65

TRADE/WP.7/GE.6/2002/15/Add.1

 

(b)

Meetings of the bureau

 

6

Specialized Section on Standardization of Meat

TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13

 

(a)

UNECE Standard for Ovine Carcases and Cuts

TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13, paras 9 to 42

TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13/Add.1

TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13/Add.2

 

(b)

Meeting of rapporteurs

 

7

Working group on internationally Harmonized Produce Coding

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/17

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.12

8

UNECE Quality Standards and Organic Produce

 

9

Publications

 

 

(a)

Compendium of standards

 

 

(b)

UNECE Standards for Meat

 

 

(c)

Promotional booklet on the work and achievements of the Working Party

 

10

General questions concerning the work of WP.7 and its Specialized Sections

 

 

(a)

Revision of the Working Procedures

TRADE/WP.7/2002/6

English French Russian

 

(b)

Status and possible revision of the Geneva Protocol

TRADE/WP.7/2001/6

English French Russian

 

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras. 75 to 81

 

(c)

Name of the Working Party

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras. 82 to 83

11

Follow-up concerning items discussed at earlier sessions

 

 

(a)

Exchange of information on non-conformity cases

TRADE/WP.7/2000/11/Add.21

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras 87 to 88

 

(b)

List of countries accepting/not accepting code marks

TRADE/WP.7/2000/11/Add.22

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, para 89

12

Application of UNECE Standards

 

13

Workshops, seminars, training courses and other activities concerning capacity building for the application of quality standards

 

 

(a)

Report of the Asian Seminar on Safe and High Quality Food for International Trade and Plans for follow-up events (Asia, Central Asia and South-East Europe)

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.14

 

(b)

Information about other capacity building activities

 

14

Other business

 

15

Programme of work

TRADE/WP.7/2002/7

English French Russian

 

(a)

Calendar of meetings

 

 

(b)

Future work

 

16

Election of officers

 

17

Adoption of the report

 

 

PROPOSED TIME TABLE

 

29

October

10.00 � 13.00

Items 1 - 4

 

 

15.00 � 18.00

Items 4 - 9

30

October

10.00 � 13.00

Items 9 - 16

31

October

10.00 -13.00

Item 17

 

ANNOTATIONS

 

 

ITEM 1 Adoption of the agenda

 

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

 

(a)������� UNECE

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/2

 

The Secretariat will inform the Working Party about relevant work of the:

-���������� Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development

-���������� United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Commerce

-���������� Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policy

-���������� Working Party on Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs

 

The information is included in the document as far as available.

 

(b)������� Other organizations:

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/3

 

Representatives of the following organizations have been invited to provide information of interest to the Working Party:

-���������� Codex Alimentarius Commission and Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

-���������� European Union

-���������� ISO/TC34/SC14

-���������� OECD Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables

-���������� World Trade Organization.

 

The information is included in the document as far as available.

 

ITEM 3 Specialized Section on Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20 (Report of the 48th session)

����������������������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/8(Latvian Fruit Varieties)

 

The Working Party will be informed on the outcome of the forty-eight session of the Specialized Section and will be invited to take decisions on the following issues:

 

(a)������� Texts recommended for adoption as revised or new UNECE standards:

 

Annonas����������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.1

Apples�������������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.2

Pears��������������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.3

Citrus Fruit������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.5*

Leeks, Melons and Plums����������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.7

Table Grapes���������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.9*

Strawberries����������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.8

 

(b)������� Texts recommended for adoption as UNECE recommendations for a one trial period:

 

Avocados��������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.4

Plums�������������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.7

Table Grapes���������������� ����������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.9*

Pineapples�������������������������������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.10

 

Documents marked with an asterisk contain, in addition to the amendments proposed by the Specialized Section, some notes by the secretariat for a possible harmonization with the text agreed at the Codex Committee for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables. According to the working procedures, the Working Party can tentatively agree such amendments, in order to avoid delays, if it considers them to be minor technical points.

 

The secretariat has received information about Latvian varieties of Apples, Pears and Plums which are included in document TRADE/WP.7/2002/8.The Working Party is invited to consider whether these should be included now in the relevant lists to avoid delays.

 

(c)������� Numbering system of the standards

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2001/19, para.167

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20, para. 123 to 129

TRADE/WP.7/2001/3

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/16

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/4

 

At the last session of the Working Party the secretariat proposed changing the numbering system used in UNECE standards to a legal numbering system (e.g. 1, 1.2, 1.2.1) (see TRADE/WP.7/2001/3).

Advantages of this system are that

����������� -���������� references to all parts of the text are easily possible;

����������� -���������� no letters are needed in the numbering (avoids problems with cyrillic);

-                      standards are in line with ISO standard 2145:1978 on �Numbering of divisions and

sub-divisions in written documents�.

 

For the last session of GE.1 the secretariat prepared a comprehensive example based on the Citrus Fruit Standard (see TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/16).In addition the �Provisions concerning quality� had been split into its three sub-sections to keep the numbering depth low (four numbers).

 

The Specialized Section agreed to having a separate section for Maturity requirements but preferred to keep the three sections under the existing heading so that the concept of quality was not lost.

 

In document TRADE/WP.7/2002/4 the secretariat presents a new example on the basis of the Apples standard.

 

(d)������� Use of trade marks in UNECE standards

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20, paras 116 to 121

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/5

 

At the request of the Specialized Section the secretariat has prepared a proposal to amend the standard layout to include provisions for lists of varieties and the mentioning of trade marks.

 

ITEM 4 Specialized Section on Standardization of Dry and Dried Produce (Fruit)

Document: ������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14 (Report of the 49th session)

 

The Working Party will be informed on the outcome of the forty-ninth session of the Specialized Section and will be invited to take decisions on the following issues:

 

(a)������� UNECE Standard for Inshell Walnuts

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, para. 18

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/3

 

The amendments contained in document TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/3 are proposed for adoption as a revised UNECE Standard for Inshell Walnuts.

 

(b)������� Annex on determination of the moisture content for dry fruit (nuts).

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, paras. 92 to 94

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14/Add.1

 

The annex to the standard layout on determination of the moisture content for dry fruit (nuts) is recommended for adoption. It will then be automatically included in all relevant standards.

 

(c)������� Information concerning the joint publication of the colour chart for walnut kernels by OECD and UNECE

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/14, paras. 19 to 21

 

The Specialized Section decided that the colour chart should be published jointly by OECD and UNECE.The secretariat will inform the Working Party about a coordination meeting that was held in August with OECD and the French delegation.

 

ITEM 5 Specialized Section on Standardization of Seed Potatoes

Document: TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/15 (Report of the 32nd session)

 

The Working Party will be informed on the outcome of the thirty-second session of the Specialized Section.

 

(a)������� Text recommended for adoption as revised UNECE Standard

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/15, paras. 29 to 65

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/2002/15/Add.1

 

The Specialized Section recommends the adoption of the amendments and their inclusion in the revised UNECE Standard for Seed Potatoes.

 

(b)������� Meetings of the bureau

 

The Working Party will be informed of the results of the meetings of the extended bureau, in Hanvec (France) 8-11 July 2002 and Ottawa (Canada) 30 September � 4 October 2002.

 

ITEM 6 Specialized Section on Standardization of Meat

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13 (Report of the 11th session)

 

The Working Party will be informed on the outcome of the eleventh session of the Specialized Section.

 

(a)������� New UNECE Standard for Ovine Carcases and Cuts

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13, paras 9 to 42

Documents:������ TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13/Add.1

TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13/Add.2

 

The Specialized Section recommends adopting the text contained in documents TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/2002/13/Add.1 and Add.2 as a new UNECE Standard for Ovine Carcases and Cuts.

 

(b)������� Meeting of rapporteurs

 

The Specialized Section will be informed of a meeting of rapporteurs on chicken meat which took place from 16-20 September in Rennes (France).

 

ITEM 7 Working group on Internationally Harmonized Produce Coding

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/17

TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.12

 

The Working Party will be informed on the progress of the working group on internationally harmonized produce coding.

 

ITEM 8 UNECE Quality Standards and Organic Produce

 

The secretariat will report on a meeting on organic produce held in Bologna (13 September 2002) where one of the topics concerned quality standards and organic produce.Delegations will be invited to present their views on the relationship between quality standards and organic produce.

 

ITEM 9 Publications�����

 

(a)������� Compendium of standards

(b)������� UNECE Standards for Meat

(c)������� Promotional booklet on the work and achievements of the Working Party

 

The secretariat will inform the Working Party on the status of these publications and invite a discussion on the contents of a promotional booklet.

 

ITEM 10���������� General questions concerning the work of WP.7 and its Specialized Sections���

 

(a)������� Revision of the Working Procedures;

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/6

 

The Working Group met during the Specialized Section for Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and finalized a proposal for the revision of the Working Procedures which is presented to the Working Party for discussion and, if consensus is reached, for adoption.

 

(b)������� Status and possible revision of the Geneva Protocol

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/2001/6

����������������������� TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras. 75 to 81

 

The secretariat will inform the Working Party on the legal status of the Geneva Protocol.

 

(c)������� Name of the Working Party

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras. 82 to 83

 

At the last session the Working Party could not find consensus on a new and shorter name. The Working Party agreed to decide a new name when adopting the new working procedures. Proposals for a new name are included in document TRADE/WP.7/2002/6.

 

ITEM 11���������� Follow-up concerning items discussed at earlier sessions

 

(a)������� Exchange of information on non-conformity cases

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/2000/11/Add.21

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, paras 87 to 88

 

The secretariat continues working on establishing a list of contact points. Delegations are invited to provide the relevant information from their countries to the secretariat.

 

(b)������� List of countries accepting/not accepting code marks

Background:����� TRADE/WP.7/2000/11/Add.22

TRADE/WP.7/2001/9, para 89

 

The replies received up to now have been published on the home page. Further information will be published when it is received.

 

ITEM 12���������� Application of UNECE Standards

 

The information can be found in an updated version in English on the web site of the agricultural standards unit at: www.unece.org/trade/agr under the menu item GENERAL.

 

Delegations are invited to comment on the information and to transmit any corrections to the Secretariat.

 

ITEM 13���������� Workshops, seminars, training courses and other activities concerning capacity building for the application of quality standards��������

 

(a)������� Report of the Asian Seminar on Safe and High Quality Food for International Trade and

plans for follow-up events (Asia, Central Asia, South-East Europe)

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2002/20/Add.14

 

(b)������� Information about other capacity building activities

 

Delegations hosting international training courses and workshops (e.g. Slovakia, United Kingdom) are

invited to provide information on their activities in 2002 and 2003.

 

ITEM 14���������� Other business

 

Any other topic can be discussed under this agenda item.

 

ITEM 15���������� Programme of work����

Document:�������� TRADE/WP.7/2002/7

 

(a)������� Calendar of meetings��

 

The calendar of sessions of the Specialized Sections and the Working Party will be presented for the consideration of the Working Party.

 

(b)������� Future work

 

Delegations are invited to propose on areas of future work of interest to their countries.

 

ITEM 16���������� Election of officers

 

According to the Commission's Rules of Procedure and established practice, the Meeting is expected to elect

a Chair and two vice-chairs. The Working Party elected at its fifty-seventh session the following bureau:

 

Chair:����������� Mr. M. Vilchez-Barros (Spain)

Vice-Chair:��� Ms. O. Vorovenci (Romania)

Vice-Chair:��� Mr. D.L. Priester (United States of America)

 

The Chairman, Mr Vilchez-Barros informed the Working Party at the last session that he would not stand for re-election and invited delegations to think about his succession.

 

ITEM 17���������� Adoption of the report

 

The Working Party will adopt the report of its fifty-eighth 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 Division

Palais des Nations

Office 432

1211 Geneva 10

Tel:(41) 22 917 2450���� Fax:(41) 22 917 0041

or by e-mail to:

[email protected]

 

Meeting documentation will be available on our homepage:

 

http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/welcome.htm