The FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Commission is the unique United Nations body responsible for establishing international food standards aimed at protecting the health of consumers and ensuring fair practices in the food trade. The food standards, codes of practice, and other guidelines and recommendations adopted by the Commission form the Codex Alimentarius: the international food code. This publication sets out the report of the Commission's 29th session, held in Geneva, Switzerland in July 2006.

This publication contains the report of an expert meeting, held in Rome in December 2005, to discuss the re-establishment of the Environment and Aquaculture in the Mediterranean (EAM) Network and to identify short and medium-term activities. The experts suggested that EAM be re-established as a subsidiary body of GFCM-CAQ (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean - Committee on Aquaculture) and the restructured EAM would work through four working groups.

The session was attended by delegates from all twenty-four Members of the Commission. The Commission decided that the new headquarters of GFCM will be in Palazzo Blumenstihl, Rome, Italy. The Commission agreed that Members would exceptionally participate in the ballots for the selection of the Executive Secretary, provided that they contribute their share to the GFCM autonomous budget prior to the end of 2005. Through interviews and secret ballots, the Commission selected its Executive Secretary. It also agreed on the mandate and on the procedure for the selection of the Deputy Executive Secretary. The Commission established formally the Coordinating Meeting of the Sub-Committees (CMSC) as a subsidiary body of Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), as well as a Permanent Working Group on Stock Assessment Methodologies.

This session took steps towards clearing an instrument for marine protection, added two species to the priority list, agreed to harmonize country data, and decided to proceed with the standard FAO aquaculture questionnaires.

In its thirtieth session the Commission reviewed the intersessional activities of its Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) and its Committee on Aquaculture (CAQ). Based on the advice emanating from SAC and proposals by Members, the GFCM adopted respectively: three binding recommendations on fisheries management measures, including on fishing effort and on the protection of sensitive habitats; two recommendations on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing, including on the establishment of a black list of vessels and on data confidentiality procedure. It also endorsed three recommendations from the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), including on the establishment of a programme for transshipment by large-scale longliners. The GFCM reiterated its satisfaction with progress made in the implementation of the five regional projects executed by FAO in support of the Commission. The Commission ascertained its financial situation and agreed to use arrears to build a Working Capital Fund. In the Secretariat, it established a post of Statistician and a post of Programmer/System Analyst. Work progress related to the new headquarters of the Commission was reviewed. The Commission decided to postpone the adjustments to its Rules of Procedure to its next plenary. The Commission established a Compliance Committee. It formalized the Environment Aquaculture Mediterranean Network (EAM) and the Statistical Information System on Aquaculture (SIPAM) as subsidiary bodies of CAQ, and endorsed the guidelines prepared by the Joint GFCM/ICCAT Working Group on Sustainable Tuna Farming. The Commission agreed on its programme of work and adopted its autonomous budget for the year 2006. The GFCM elected its new Bureau