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The Ractopamine Dispute in the Codex Alimentarius Commission

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Michael Burkard*
Affiliation:
University of Bern and the World Trade Institute

Abstract

The dispute over ractopamine in the Codex Alimenta-rius Commission (CAC) exemplifi es changes in Codex proceedings. In its early days, the CAC resembled to an honourable Club of senior food safety offi cials aim-ing at setting food standards in a consensual manner. However, with the WTO connexion established in 1995, CAC proceedings are overshadowed by looming trade disputes and increasingly decided by majority voting. The tendency towards majority voting in the CAC may ultimately undermine the universality of food safety standards and the legitimacy of the CAC as an inter-national standard setting body.

Type
Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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References

1 See Procedural Manual of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, 20th edition 2011, Section I, Basic texts and defi nitions, Rules of Procedure of the Codex Alimentarius Commission, Rule XII.2, available on the Internet at <ftp://ftp.fao.org/codex/Publications/Proc-Manuals/Manual_20e.pdf> (last accessed on 1 November 2012).

2 The text is based on reports of the CAC, available on the Internet at <http//www.codexalimentarius.org/meetings-reports/en/> (last accessed on 1 November 2012).

3 Report of the 34th Session of the CAC, para. 110, available on the Internet at <http//www.who.int/foodsafety/codex/34thCAC.pdf> (last accessed on 25 November 2012).

4 Statement by the EU on ractopamine, July 6, 2012, available on the Internet at <http//ec.europa.eu/food/international/organisations/codex_en.htm> (last accessed on 1 November 2012).