Working Party on Standardization of
Perishable Produce and Quality Development (WP.7)


Fifty-fourth session, 9-11 November 1998
PROVISIONAL AGENDA FOR THE FIFTY-FOURTH SESSION
to be held in the Palais des Nations, Geneva,
commencing at 10:00 hrs Monday, 9 November 1998
  1.   Adoption of the agenda    TRADE/WP.7/1998/1
  2.   Matters of interest arising since the fifty-third session    TRADE/WP.7/1998/2
  3.   Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Dry and Dried Produce (Fruit)   TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/1998/14
    (a)   Consideration to adopt the revised standard for Inshell Hazelnuts as a UN/ECE Recommendation   TRADE/WP.7/1998/3 
    (b)   Consideration to adopt the revised standard for Hazelnut Kernels as a UN/ECE Recommendation   TRADE/WP.7/1998/4 
    (c)   Consideration to adopt the revised Recommendation on Dried Apples as a new UN/ECE Standard   TRADE/WP.7/1998/5 
    (d)   Consideration to extend the trial period for the UN/ECE Recommendation on Cashew Kernels for one year  
    (e)   Consideration of a request to review the UN/ECE Standards on Pistachio Nuts   
  4.   Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Seed Potatoes   TRADE/WP.7/GE.6/1998/9
      TRADE/WP.7/1998/6 
  5.   Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Meat (Porcine, Bovine and Poultry)    TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/1998/5
  6.   Meeting of Experts on Coordination of Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables   
  7.   Matters of interest arising from the activities of other international bodies:  
    (a)   Codex Alimentarius Commission and Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables  
    (b)   European Union  
    (c)   OECD Scheme for the Application of International Standards for Fruit and Vegetables  
    (d)   World Trade Organization   
  8.   Report on international workshops and training courses on standardization and quality control   
  9.   Matters of interest arising from the reports of the:  
    (a)   Working Party on Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs  
    (b)   United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT)  
    (c)   Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies   
  10.   Programme of work   TRADE/WP.7/1998/7
    (a)   Calendar of meetings  
    (b)   Publications  
    (c)   Future work   
  11.   Other business  
    (a)   Title of standards drawn up by the Working Party   TRADE/WP.7/1998/8
    (b)   Acceptances of UN/ECE Standards   
  12.   Election of officers   
 13.  Adoption of the report TRADE/WP.7/1998/9
 
Proposed Time Table
 
 9   November  10.00 - 13.00   Items 1 - 3
 
 
   15.00 - 18.00   Items 3 - 6
 10   November  10.00 - 13-00   Items 6 - 12
 11   November  9.30 - 12.30   Item 13
  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 fifty-third session  

The Working Party will be informed of the relevant outcome of the second session of the Committee for Trade, Industry and Enterprise Development, of the changes in the secretariat and of the change in terminology for its meetings of experts.

Item 3 Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Dry and Dried Produce (Fruit)  

Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/1998/14 contains the report on the forty-sixth session of the Meeting of Experts.

(a) Consideration to adopt the revised standard for Inshell Hazelnuts as a UN/ECE Recommendation

Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/3 contains the revised standard for Inshell Hazelnuts. It is the recommendation of the Meeting that this document be adopted as a UN/ECE Recommendation on Inshell Hazelnuts for a two year trial period.

(b) Consideration to adopt the revised standard for Hazelnut Kernels as a UN/ECE Recommendation

Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/4 contains the revised standard for Hazelnut Kernels. It is the recommendation of the Meeting that this document be adopted as a UN/ECE Recommendation on Hazelnut Kernels for a two year trial period.

(c) Consideration to adopt the revised Recommendation on Dried Apples as a new UN/ECE Standard

Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/5 contains the revised Recommendation on Dried Apples. It is the recommendation of the Meeting that this document be adopted as a new UN/ECE Standard on Dried Apples.

(d) Consideration to extend the trial period for the UN/ECE Recommendation on Cashew Kernels for one year

(e) Consideration of a request to review the UN/ECE Standards on Pistachio Nuts.

The Meeting has requested permission to review the UN/ECE Standards on Pistachio Nuts. The reasons for the request are given in TRADE/WP.7/GE.2/1998/14, paras. 50 and 51.

Item 4 Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Seed Potatoes

Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.6/1998/9 contains the report on the twenty-ninth session of the Meeting of Experts. The Meeting recommends to the Working Party to publish a revised version of the Standard, incorporating the agreed amendments as soon as possible and to make every effort to actively promote the revised Standard worldwide.   Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/6 contains the revised UN/ECE Standard on Seed Potatoes incorporating the amendments decided by the Meeting.

Item 5 Meeting of Experts on Standardization of Meat (Porcine, Bovine and Poultry)

Document TRADE/WP.7/GE.11/1998/5 contains the report on the sixth session of the Meeting of Experts. The Working Party will also be informed of the outcome of the Meeting of Rapporteurs which will be held in Brussels on 26 and 27 October 1998.

Item 6 Report of the Meeting of Experts on Coordination of Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables

The forty-third Meeting of Experts on Coordination of Standardization of Fresh Fruit and Vegetables will be held in Geneva from 2 to 6 November 1998. The report of that meeting and revised standards/recommendations will be provided as conference room papers.  

Item 7 Matters of interest arising from the work of other international organizations

(a) Codex Alimentarius Commission and Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

(b) European Union

(c) OECD Scheme

(d) World Trade Organization

Representatives of the secretariats of the OECD Scheme, the European Union, the Codex Committee on Fresh Fruits and Vegetables and the World Trade Organization have been invited to report on activities related to the standardization of perishable produce.

Item 8 Report on international workshops and training courses on standardization and quality control

Delegations hosting international training courses and workshops will be invited to provide information on their activities in 1998 and 1999.

Item 9 Matters of interest arising from the reports of the:

(a) Working Party on Transport of Perishable Foodstuffs

(b) United Nations Centre for the Facilitation of Procedures and Practices for Administration, Commerce and Transport (CEFACT)

(c) Working Party on Technical Harmonization and Standardization Policies   The secretariats of the above-mentioned UN/ECE Working Parties and CEFACT have been invited to report on activities related to the standardization of perishable produce.

Item 10 Programme of work  

Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/7 presents the proposed programme of work for 1999-2000 for the consideration and approval of the Working Party.

(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) Publications   The secretariat will inform the Working Party of the status of its publications, especially of the publication of the standards on the Internet.

(c) Future work   Delegations are invited to comment on areas of future work of interest to their countries.

Item 11 Other Business

(a) Title of standards elaborated by the Working Party   Document TRADE/WP.7/1998/8 contains the reply of the United Nations legal services on the question of amending the title of the standards drawn up by the Working Party.

(b) Acceptances of UN/ECE Standards   At the fifty-third session of the Working Party, delegations had been requested to provide the secretariat with a survey of acceptances of UN/ECE standards. As only a small number of replies have been received, the secretariat postponed the preparation of an updated version of the table of acceptances.  

Item 12 Election of officers   According to the Commission's Rules of Procedure and established practice, the Meeting is expected to elect a Chairperson and vice-chairpersons. The Working Party at its fifty-third session elected the following bureau:

Chairperson: Mr. M. Vilchez-Barros (Spain)
Vice-Chairperson: Mr. D.L. Priester (United States of America)
Vice-Chairperson: Ms. O. Vorovenci (Romania)

Item 13 Adoption of the report   The Working Party will adopt the report of its fifty-fourth 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 or 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