Prof. Everaldo Attard heads the EU delegation at the Codex Committee on Spices and Culinary Herbs in Chennai, India
Associate Professor Everaldo Attard was nominated to chair the coordination meeting for the Codex Committee for Spices and Culinary Herbs at the EU Member States level and to head the EU delegation at the Codex Committee on an international level.
The Codex Committee for Spices and Culinary Herbs was set up under the auspice of the Codex Alimentarius primarily to elaborate worldwide standards for spices and culinary herbs in their dried and dehydrated state to be traded internationally. These standards are set to safeguard the consumers from consuming unsafe or adulterated spices and culinary herbs. The Codex Alimentarius or 'Food Code' was established in 1963 by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
The coordination meeting was held on 20 January 2017, at the Justus Lipsius building, Brussels, with the participation of the European Union Member States. As Malta is hosting the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the chairing of this meeting was preceded by Prof. Everaldo Attard and assisted by Mr Hadrian Bonello (Food Safety Commission), where common positions were reached for the agenda items to be discussed at the Codex Committee for Spices and Culinary Herbs meeting. This committee meeting was held in Chennai, India, between 6 and 10 February 2017 with the participation of 36 countries from all over the globe. The Maltese delegation represented the EU-28 at the meeting and negotiated the EUMS common positions. Supporting EU member state delegations from Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Poland, Estonia, Spain and Belgium, as well as the European Commission were present at the meeting.
Speaking about his experience at these two meetings, Prof. Attard believes that research carried out on the quality of food products at University translates to policies and standards on a European and international basis. This reflects University’s outreach beyond the perimeter of this institution and the borders of the country. The Maltese presidency of the Council of the European Union gives an opportunity to local academics and other officials to internationalise and promote Malta.