Revised Codex text provides timely guidance on paperless electronic trade

Jun 18, 2021, 12:10 PM by System

The first virtual session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), hosted online by Australia from 31 May to 8 June 2021,discussed and recommended for adoption at the next Codex Alimentarius Commission, a draft guidance document on Paperless Use of Electronic Certificates.

When governments adopt CCFICS standards, they support fair trading practices, protect the health of consumers, and reduce food degradation and waste in international trade.

Erik Bosker is Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in The Hague. At CCFICS he heads The Netherlands delegation that led the work. This text “provides timely, solid and consistent Codex guidance for international paperless exchange of official certificates between Competent Authorities,” he said.

Since the global pandemic, providing countries with information on how to participate in paperless electronic business has become even more relevant in a global connected world. “With this updated guidance Codex Alimentarius at the same time provides a modernized instrument for other standard setting organizations that are involved in facilitating electronic business including Coordinated Border Management,” said Bosker.

The standard for this electronic certification will be UN/eCERT which was developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), a global standardization body which operates under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

 

Learn more

This draft guidance is a revision of the ‘Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and use of Generic Official Certificates, (CXG 38-2001) adding electronic certificates to a remodelled text (which you can read here).

Read the UNECE press release

Photo credit: 123RF/melpomen

 

 

 

 

At the heart of the Codex mandate are the core values of collaboration, inclusiveness, consensus building and transparency. Governmental and non-governmental, public and private organizations alike play a vital role in ensuring Codex texts are of the highest quality and based on sound science.

Codex would have little authority in the field of international standard setting if it did not welcome and acknowledge the valuable contributions made by observers. Expert technical bodies, industry and consumer associations contribute to the standard-setting process in a spirit of openness, collaboration and transparency.

Intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can apply for observer status in Codex in order to attend and put forward their views at every stage of the standard-setting process.

Current Codex Alimentarius Commission

240
Codex Observers
60
IGOs
164
NGOs
16
UN

Revised Codex text provides timely guidance on paperless electronic trade

Jun 18, 2021, 12:10 PM by System

The first virtual session of the Codex Committee on Food Import and Export Inspection and Certification Systems (CCFICS), hosted online by Australia from 31 May to 8 June 2021,discussed and recommended for adoption at the next Codex Alimentarius Commission, a draft guidance document on Paperless Use of Electronic Certificates.

When governments adopt CCFICS standards, they support fair trading practices, protect the health of consumers, and reduce food degradation and waste in international trade.

Erik Bosker is Senior Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in The Hague. At CCFICS he heads The Netherlands delegation that led the work. This text “provides timely, solid and consistent Codex guidance for international paperless exchange of official certificates between Competent Authorities,” he said.

Since the global pandemic, providing countries with information on how to participate in paperless electronic business has become even more relevant in a global connected world. “With this updated guidance Codex Alimentarius at the same time provides a modernized instrument for other standard setting organizations that are involved in facilitating electronic business including Coordinated Border Management,” said Bosker.

The standard for this electronic certification will be UN/eCERT which was developed by the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT), a global standardization body which operates under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

 

Learn more

This draft guidance is a revision of the ‘Guidelines for Design, Production, Issuance and use of Generic Official Certificates, (CXG 38-2001) adding electronic certificates to a remodelled text (which you can read here).

Read the UNECE press release

Photo credit: 123RF/melpomen

 

 

 

 

Codex and Observer

Food is a sensitive commodity, which has travelled
around the world since ancient times.
We might not always know where it comes from,
but we expect it to be available, safe and of good quality.