Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
took part in subsequent negotiation stages as members of their government dele-
gations or as non-governmental observers. The report from the Expert Consulta-
tion (FAO 2003) provided a background document for the subsequent Technical
Consultation. In the FAO context, the difference between an expert consultation and
a technical consultation is that the former is attended by experts in their individual
capacities while governments nominate experts in the latter.
The Technical Consultation of government-nominated experts initiated the inter-
governmental negotiations proper, in October 2004. As discussed below, a num-
ber of issues of concern and controversy could not be resolved during that meet-
ing and another round of consultation was held to try to reach an agreement on
these just prior to the 26th Session of COFI in March 2005. Negotiations con-
tinued at the side of COFI in a small group representing the different regions
and interest groups. COFI adopted the final text by consensus but a few country
delegations expressed reservations that have been reflected in the COFI Report
(FAO 2005a).
In the following section, selected provisions of the guidelines (FAO 2005b, http://
www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0116t/a0116t00.htm) are presented to explain the key in-
tent of the guidelines and comment on the evolution of the text through the various
drafting and negotiation stages. Their normative basis is indicated in the guide-
lines themselves and include in particular, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law
of the Sea, the 1995 UN Fish Stocks Agreement, the 1995 Code of Conduct for
Responsible Fisheries, relevant guides of the International Organization for Stan-
dardization (ISO) and provisions of the WTO Technical Agreement on Barriers to
Trade, especially Annex 3
Code of Good Practice for the Preparation, Adoption
and Application of Standards.
The text of this chapter follows the structure of the guidelines - Scope, Principles,
General considerations, Terms and definitions, Minimum substantive requirements
and criteria, and Procedural and institutional aspects.
3.3.1
Scope
The initial mandate by COFI in 2003 was to develop guidelines for the ecolabelling
of marine capture fisheries only. This was extended to inland capture fisheries by
COFI in 2005. Differences in the two sets of guidelines are shown below in brackets,
or in bold or in a separate paragraph. It should be noted that the inland capture
fisheries ecolabelling guidelines are only available in a draft version produced by a
meeting (held in May 2006) of experts participating in their individual capacities.
The text of paragraph 1 on the scope reads as follows:
These guidelines are applicable to ecolabelling schemes that are designed to certify
and promote labels for products from well-managed marine [inland] capture fisheries
and focus on issues related to the sustainable use of fisheries resources.
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