EXPLANATORY NOTES
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 Election
of Officers
According to
the Commission's Rules of Procedure and established practice, the Meeting
is expected to elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman. The forty-third session
of the Meeting of Experts elected Mr. Mr. D.L. Priester (USA) as Chairman
and Ms. U. Bickelman as Vice-Chairperson.
Item 3 Matters
of Interest Arising Since the Forty-Third Session
Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/2
presents the matters of interest to the work of the Meeting of Experts
on Coordination of Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.
Item 4 Consideration
of Proposals to Revise Standards
(a)
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/3 present proposals to amend and revise Standards
for Shelling Peas (including a new proposal by Spain and
proposals by Canada and Germany which had been presented as documents and
Conference Room Papers to the forty-second session); Beans (proposals
by the United Kingdom and Spain) (see also TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/3/Add.1);
(b)
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/4 presents proposals to amend the Standards for Garlic
(proposal by Germany) and Onions (proposal by the Netherlands).
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/4/Add.1 presents a proposal to amend the standards
for Cucumbers (proposal by the Netherlands).
(c)
Table Grapes TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/5 presents a proposal by the delegation
of Chile.
(d)
Plums (proposal by the Germany) contained in document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/6.
(e)
Peaches and Nectarines To discuss the inclusion of packing in bulk
in the Standard for Peaches and Nectarines on the basis of document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/7
prepared by the Italian delegation.
(f)
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/8 (NOT RECEIVED BEFORE THE DEADLINE) presents a proposal
by New Zealand to amend certain aspects of the Standard for Apples and
Pears which had not yet been discussed at the forty-third session.
Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/9 contains the revised version of the Standard
reflecting the decisions taken at the forty-third session.
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/10 presents a consolidated list of changes to the
Annex of the Standard for Apples and Pears, i.e. the list of varieties
compiled during the forty-third session by the German delegation.
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/10/Add.1 presents a further proposal to amend
the list of varieties (proposal by Italy).
(g)
Citrus Fruit Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/11 contains a proposal
by the delegation of Israel. TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/11 contains a proposal
by South Africa.
(h)
Kiwi Fruit TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/12 contains a proposal by the
delegation of New Zealand to revise the Standard for Kiwi Fruit. NOT RECEIVED
BEFORE DEADLINE.
(i)
Cultivated Mushrooms Changes proposed by the German delegation to
the Standard for Cultivated Mushrooms are contained in document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/13.
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/13/Add.1 contains a proposal by the United Kingdom.
(j)
Asparagus Changes proposed by the delegation of Thailand concerning
the introduction of slender asparagus varieties into the UN/ECE Standards
for Asparagus. (Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/14)
(k)
Avocados Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/15 presents a proposal by
the delegation of Spain to amend the UN/ECE Standard for Avocados.
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/15/Add.1
presents comments from Israel.
Item 5 Review
of the changes introduced by the European Union
Review of the changes
intorduced by the EU Group of Experts in view of harmonizing the EU and
the UN/ECE Standards for Melons, Watermelons, Avocados, and Garlic (document
TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/1998/16).
Item 6 Consideration
of a proposal to include provisions for miniature fruit and vegetables
in UN/ECE Standards
At the forty-first
session of the Meeting of Experts on Fresh Fruit and Vegetables (paras
55 to 62 of the Report) it was decided that further discussion was needed
on: definitions of these products (in use by the EU and other countries);
which products should be covered; whether the criteria should be included
in an annex to specific Standards or in the Standard Layout; and what the
products should be called. Delegations are invited to provide to the
secretariat their comments on these topics as early as possible.
Document AGRI/WP.1/GE.1/R.146
which had been presented to the forty-second session of the Meeting of
Experts presents a proposal by the secretariat on how the EU's "Gentlemen
Agreement" could be incorporated within ECE Standards. Furthermore, document
AGRI/WP.1/GE.1/R.146 contains a proposal by Germany on the incorporation
of miniature products in the Standard Layout and comments by the delegation
of the United Kingdom.
Item 7 Discussions
on the following items:
a) Usefulness of Sizing
Provisions (AGRI/WP.1/GE.1/R.157) prepared by the delegation of the Netherlands
for the forty-third session of the Meeting of Experts.
b) Establishment of
a list of countries using code marks (proposed by the delegations of Canada
and the US at the forty-second session of the Meeting of Experts).
Item 8 Report
on Matters of Interest Arising from Activities of the:
(a) OECD Scheme for
the Application of International Standards for Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
(b) European Union
(c) Codex Committee
on Fresh Fruit and Vegetables
(d) World Trade Organization
Item 9 Other
Business
a) Future Work
Consideration to
elaborate a UN/ECE Draft Standard for Pineapples: At its fifty-third
session, the Working Party decided to ask the Meeting of Experts to consider
the elaboration of a Draft Standard for Pineapples taking into account
the work undertaken by the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruit and Vegetables.
The request had been submitted by COLEACP and was initiated by the Ivory
Coast and other West African countries.
Consideration to
discuss the elaboration of a working document on exchange of information
on non-conformity cases at the next session
Drafting of a circular
letter: Drafting of a circular letter inviting wider participation
during the sessions of GE.1
(b) Date and Place
of Next Session
Item 10 Adoption
of the Summary Report
The Meeting of Experts
will adopt the summary report on its forty-fourth session prepared by the
secretariat.
NOTE BY THE SECRETARIAT:
Contributions should be sent to the secretariat either on diskette by mail to:
Food Standards Officer
UN/ECE Trade Division
Palais des Nations
Office 432
1211 Geneva 10
Tel: (41) 22 917
2450 Fax: (41) 22 917 0041
or by email to:
[email protected]
Meeting documentation will be available on our homepage:
http://www.unece.org/trade/agr/welcome.htm
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