EC Council Minutes, 17 November 2003
The following is taken from the minutes of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council held on the 17 November 2003
The Council adopted the Decision on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (13089/03 + 13073/03 ADD 1 +ADD 2). The accession negotiations began in 1993. An amendment of the rules of procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission paved the way for entry of the EC as a Member in its own right, alongside the Member States, in order to strengthen the consistency between Community legislative provisions and international obligations.
The object of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is inter alia to develop and
harmonise world-wide health standards and to issue guidelines and recommendations
on agricultural and fishery products, foodstuffs, food additives and contaminants,
feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, pesticides, including labelling, methods of analysis
and sampling, codes of ethics and good agricultural practice and guidelines
of hygiene practice, with a view to protecting consumer health and ensuring
fair practices in international trade.
The text of the decision can be found using this link (pdf file): Council Decision (2003/822/EC) of 17 November 2003 on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (OJ L309, 26.11.2003, page 14)