US embassy cable - 04ROME620

UNCLAS ROME 000620 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
STATE FOR OES/ETC - NEUMANN, EB/TPP/BTT - MALAC 
AND IO/EDA - KOTOK 
USDA FOR FAS - REICH AND HUGHES 
AND FSIS ESCARBOUGH 
 
FROM US MISSION TO THE UN AGENCIES FOR FOOD AND 
AGRICULTURE 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: EAGR, ETRD, FAO 
SUBJECT: AD-HOC TASK FORCE ON ANIMAL FEED MEETING IN MAY 
2004 
 

REF:  (A) 03 ROME 2210,    (B) 03 ROME 5197 
      (C) 03 STATE 301407 
 
1. SUMMARY: THIS IS A BACKGROUND MESSAGE FOR THE SUBJECT 
MEETING THAT WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 17-19, 2004 IN 
COPENHAGEN.  THIS TASK FORCE IS DRAFTING A CODEX CODE OF 
GOOD PRACTICE FOR ANIMAL FEEDING.  THE LANGUAGE IN THE 
DRAFT CODEX DOCUMENT INCLUDES PARAGRAPHS THAT ARE NOT 
CONSISTENT WITH US APPROACHES AND DO NOT REFLECT 
COMPROMISE LANGUAGE THAT WAS REACHED BILATERALLY BETWEEN 
THE EU AND THE US. 
 
2. THE MOST RECENT FAO MEETING HELD ON THIS SUBJECT WAS 
THE JOINT INTERNATIONAL FEED INDUSTRY FEDERATION 
(IFIF)/FAO CONFERENCE ON FEED SAFETY, ROME, OCTOBER 29- 
31, 2003.  ROY BARRETT, FSTSD, FAS AND EDITH KENNARD, US 
CODEX OFFICE ATTENDED.  THE CONFERENCE PROVIDED AN 
OVERVIEW OF THE STATUS OF THE CODEX CODE OF GOOD PRACTICE 
FOR ANIMAL FEEDING CURRENTLY UNDER DISCUSSION IN THE 
 
CODEX AD-HOC TASK FORCE ON ANIMAL FEEDING, AS WELL AS OF 
FEED SAFETY AND CONTROL PRACTICES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY 
THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND NATIONAL GOVERNMENTS, PARTICULARLY 
IN REGARD TO FEED ADDITIVES, CONTAMINANTS, AND BSE.  FAO 
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW AN INTERNATIONAL CODE OF PRACTICE FOR 
ANIMAL FEEDING SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED WERE ALSO DISCUSSED. 

3. DURING THIS MEETING IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THERE 
CONTINUES TO BE CONFUSION ABOUT THE TEXT THAT IS BEING 
DISCUSSED. IN PARTICULAR, PARAGRAPHS 11, 12, AND 13 OF 
THE DRAFT CODE DEALING WITH LABELING AND TRACEABILITY OF 
FEEDSTUFFS WERE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL AT THE MOST 
RECENT CODEX COMMISSION MEETING (ROME 2003).  THE US AND 
THE EU HAD DEVELOPED JOINTLY, COMPROMISE LANGUAGE, BUT 
THIS HAD NOT BEEN INCORPORATED IN THE DRAFT CODEX CODE OF 
PRACTICE.  IT WAS AGREED THAT COMMENTS ON THESE 
PARAGRAPHS SHOULD BE RECEIVED IN PREPARATION FOR THE NEXT 
AD-HOC TASK FORCE MEETING TO HE HELD IN COPENHAGEN IN 17- 
19 MAY 2004. 
 
4.   PRIOR TO THE SUBJECT MAY MEETING INVOLVED US 
AGENCIES NEED TO REVIEW THEIR POSITION ON THIS CODE WITH 
THE RELEVANT EU OFFICES AND IN LIGHT OF THE BSE CASE IN 
THE US. 
 
5.   THE CODEX SECRETARIAT FOR THE CODEX AD-HOC TASK 
  FORCE 
ON ANIMAL FEED STRESSED TO BARRETT/KENNARD THAT PRIOR TO 
THE COPENHAGEN MEETING THERE WILL NEED TO BE SIGNIFICANT 
OUTREACH EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT ASIAN AND LATIN AMERICAN 
COUNTRIES AGREE WITH ANY COMPROMISED TEXT. 
 
HALL 
 
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	2004ROME00620 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED