OPEN CODEX COODINATING COMMITTEE FOR NORTH AMERICA AND THE SOUTH WEST PACIFIC

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I would like to extend an especially warm welcome to our overseas guests from Australia, Canada, New Caledonia, the United States and members of the Food and Agriculture Organisation's Secretariat. I hope that your stay in New Zealand will be both productive and enjoyable. It gives me great pleasure as a member of the New Zealand Government to be welcoming delegates to this, the Fourth Session of the Codex Co-ordinating Committee for North America and the South-West Pacific.It seems appropriate that such a meeting is being held in Rotorua with its rich cultural
heritage and many tourist attractions.

This morning I would like to begin by discussing New Zealand's involvement and commitment to Codex. I shall follow this with a brief discussion of some of the recent and significant developments in the food safety and food standards area within New Zealand. You will note that these developments reinforce our international links with other countries in our efforts to develop common food standards and is compatiable with the work that Codex is doing.

New Zealand was a founding member of the Codex Alimentarius Commission when it was established over thirty years ago. Although, New Zealand has hosted two Codex Committees, the Meat Hygiene Committee and more recently the Milk and Milk Products Committee, this is the first Codex meeting to be held in New Zealand.

It is only recently that Codex's work has gained new recognition and significance as a result of the conclusion of the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Agreement on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures.

Prior to the Uruguay Round the international rules relating to SPS measures were virtually non existent and there were no particular international obligations in regard to use of international standards. The landmark agreement on agriculture and the new framework of rules and disciplines governing the development and adoption of SPS measures represent significant advances.

The new rules place considerable emphasis on transparency at the national level, greater international harmonisation, science-based standards development and the application of risk analysis principles to standards development. Codex has a major role to play in all of these areas. Adopting Codex standards provides countries with one recognised means of satisfying their obligations under the SPS Agreement.

It is interesting to note that the purpose of the Codex food standards programme is to protect the health of the consumer and ensure fair practices in the food trade. The supply of safe food must be paramount. Naturally all Governments, can and do, actively guard their rights to take such measures as they consider necessary to protect the health of their population. In turn, consumers rightly demand that their Governments ensure that the food that is sold in their markets is safe for consumption.

Organisations like Codex have a major task ahead of them. As science advances and new technology is introduced into food production and processing more and more new products will enter the marketplace.

I am always fascinated by the public debate on such matters. However, Governments and their agencies have a responsibility to ensure that any measures taken are based on sound science and the latest available information. We also need to ensure that the decisions we take on food regulatory matters are communicated well to all levels of the community and industry.

The issue of communication was perhaps best illustrated with reference to recent events in Europe, in relation to Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE). Governments and regulatory agencies have a clear responsibility to present the facts and enlist the confidence of the general population. This is not an easy task, but it is one that all Governments need to strive to do well.

Effective risk communication is going to be even more important in the future as we move into the age of biotechnology and new ways of producing and processing foodstuffs. I believe that organisations such as Codex have an important leadership role in terms of advancing international thinking and approaches.

New Zealand attaches a great deal of importance to the work of Codex. With the emphasis on international harmonisation Codex standards are going to be the basis for facilitating trade while continuing to ensure that the public health is protected. The countries of this regional group all have a major role toplay in the development of Codex standards. It is my hope that you will all use this valuable opportunity to share knowledge and experiences that can be put to good use to enhance the work of Codex.

Food standards and food safety issues, the subject of this meeting are of enormous public interest.National governments clearly have a right and obligation to protect public health but these rights also carry some responsibilities. We do need to ensure that our measures are soundly based on science and are no more restrictive than necessary to protect the public health and well-being of the population.

The two clearest examples of New Zealand's desire to support free and open trade are our support for the World Trade Organisation through Codex and the 1987 Australia-New Zealand Closer Economic Relations and Trade Agreement (ANCERTA), often simply referred to as CER.

This leads me on to the subject of significant developments, in relation to food standards, in particular between New Zealand and Australia. However, I believe that our experiences here may have wider application, in the Asia Pacific region.

In December 1995, after about two years of serious negotiations, I was delighted to be the New Zealand Government signatory of a Treaty to establish the joint food standards setting system, between New Zealand and Australia. The Treaty is a unique agreement, not just between New Zealand and Australia, but in the wider Asia Pacific region. The joint system will be an extension of the current Australian system.

Therefore, in the future New Zealand will have a scientifically rigorous, open and transparent food standard setting process. For the first time one organisation will be responsible for recommending standards that, when agreed to, will have the force of law in two jurisdictions.

The Treaty is a significant extension of CER and can only serve to strengthen the links between our two countries. I am sure you can imagine that, coming to terms with the implications of this for both nations, has been challenging at times. As already indicated, it is my hope that perhaps this Treaty can be expanded beyond food standards, or that it may be used as a model in the Asia Pacific region.

The establishment of this joint system will also have tremendous benefits for the industry and consumers. It will give a boost to trade and the free flow of food products across the Tasman. At the same time the objective to protect and improve the public health of both our populations will not be compromised.

Implementation of the Treaty is dependent on some changes to the New Zealand Food Act. These are addressed in the Food Amendment Bill which I expect will be Introduced into the New Zealand House (of Parliament) within the next week. It is the Government's intention that the Bill be passed into law by 1 July 1996.

The Bill deals with two separate but linked elements of the New Zealand food administration. One component allows for a streamlined administratively-based food standard setting process which will enable the joint food standards setting system to come into force as intended by the Treaty. While the second part of the Bill will give legislative recognition to food safety programmes developed by the food industry.

The food safety initiatives in New Zealand are based on the adoption of the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems. I am aware that this is an essential part of the World Health Organisation's work in food safety and by the Codex Committee on Food Hygiene. Also, that a number of the overseas delegates here today, are currently developing such systems in their own countries.

The benefits to consumers resulting from the application of HACCP are considerable and the New Zealand Government is committed to the adoption of HACCP.

I would like to close by wishing you well in you deliberations over the remainder of the week and I trust you will also make some time to see some of our beautiful country. I will now hand the proceedings back to Dr O'Hara your chairperson. Thank you.