Associate Professor Everaldo Attard was appointed again, after two years, 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 Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Two years ago, during the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Professor Attard was appointed to chair the coordination meeting in Brussels and then head the EU delegation in Chennai, India, at the third session of the Codex Committee for Spices and Culinary Herbs. This year the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union requested the services of Professor Attard to chair the coordination meeting held on 10 January 2019, at the Justus Lipsius building, Brussels and head the EU delegation at the fourth session of CCSCH in Thiruvananthapuram, India between 21 and 25 January 2019 with the participation of 30 countries from all over the globe. Prof. Attard, on behalf of the Romanian Presidency, represented the EU-28 at the meeting and negotiated the EUMS common positions. Supporting EU member state delegations from Romania, Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, France, Italy and Belgium, as well as the European Commission were present at the meeting in India.
Speaking about his experience at these two meetings, Prof. Attard feels honoured to have been appointed by another member state of the European Union. Malta is one of the few member states of the European Union that is assisting Romania during its presidency.