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CODEX COMMITTEE ON CONTAMINANTS IN FOODS (CCCF)

SIXTH SESSION

INFORMATION NOTE FOR PARTICIPANTS

INTRODUCTION

From 26 to 30 March 2012 approximately 250 experts and policy makers from around the world will gather in Maastricht for the 6th meeting of the Codex Committee on Contaminants in Foods.

This information note provides practical information for participants of the meeting. The Dutch Secretariat is using an online registration system and kindly requests all Codex Contact Points (CCPs) and NGO contact persons to use the online registration system by following this link .

VENUE AND DATES

The Government of the Netherlands is hosting this meeting, which will be held at the Maastricht Exposition and Conference Centre (MECC) from 26 to 30 March 2012. The MECC is located in the outskirts of Maastricht, a 30 minute walk from the city centre. Regular buss and train services are operated from the city centre to the MECC.

MECC

Forum 100

6229 GV Maastricht

The Netherlands

Internet: mecc.nl

The official opening ceremony will take place on Monday 26 March at 10:00 hours.

REGISTRATION AND IDENTIFICATION BADGES

Registration of participants will take place at the MECC on:

Sunday 25 March 2012: from 16:00–19:00

Monday 26 March 2012: from 08:00–12:00

Name badges will be distributed at the registration desk. Delegates are requested to wear name badges visibly in order to gain admittance to the MECC.

FORMALITIES FOR ENTRY INTO THE NETHERLANDS

Participants are advised to contact the consular authorities of the Netherlands well in advance, in order to allow sufficient time for the processing of visa applications (if necessary). The Netherlands has instructed the Dutch embassies to issue visas to participants. More information about visa application is available on the Internet site of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs at .

Please note that it is not possible to obtain a visa on arrival in the Netherlands.

See Annex I for more information about the issuance of visas to persons visiting the Netherlands to attend the meeting and a list of countries whose citizens require an entry visa for the Netherlands. In case of problems with visa applications, please contact us by mail at info@codexalimentarius.nl.

HOTEL ACCOMMODATION FOR DELEGATES

Delegates are reminded that they are responsible for making their own hotel accommodation arrangements. It is highly recommended that you make a hotel reservation as soon as possible as March is a very busy month in Maastricht.

The Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture & Innovation has made block bookings with several hotels that apply only for reservations made before 21 January 2012. Requests after this date are based upon availability. Reservation must be made via Maastricht Booking Service directly ().

See Annex II for more details.

ACCESS TO THE NETHERLANDS / ARRIVAL DETAILS

Maastricht is located in the centre of Europe, in the very South of the Netherlands. The city is surrounded by Belgium and Germany and close to France. Cities such as Liège, Aachen, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Brussels are therefore very near.

We recommend delegates to fly to Brussels (transfer by taxi shuttle or train) or to Dusseldorf (transfer by taxi shuttle or train). The Dutch secretariat has made special arrangements with a taxi shuttle company which can pick up and deliver delegates to the airport of Brussels and Dusseldorf, see link: (). Alternatively delegates can fly to Amsterdam, Eindhoven or Maastricht and continue their journey by public transport or taxi services.

See Annex III for information regarding shuttle service, the form can be sent to info@brull.nl.

LUNCH

Lunch can be purchased in the MECC restaurant and should be paid for in cash. Alternatively, there is a restaurant in the NH Hotel next to the MECC.

INTERPRETATION

Simultaneous interpretation will be provided in English, French and Spanish during the meeting.

DOCUMENTATION

Delegates are requested to bring their own documentation to the meeting; these are available in English, French and Spanish on . Conference Room Documents and any additional documentation will be available in their original language in the conference room.

SIDE EVENTS

Monday 26 March: Reception for all delegates

Wednesday 28 March: Reception for Heads of Delegation

BANKING FACILITIES

There is a cash machine in the MECC. It is in operation 24/7 and accept most cards.

OFFICIAL LANGUAGE

The official language of the Netherlands is Dutch. English is widely spoken.

TIME ZONE

The time in the Netherlands is GMT + 01:00 hour.

CLIMATE

The Netherlands has a moderate coastal climate with cool summers and mild winters. The average temperature (day time) in March is 9 degrees Celsius.

As rain is not uncommon at any time of the year, we advise participants to bring a raincoat or an umbrella.

ELECTRICITY

230 Volts, 50 Hertz

CURRENCY

Only the Euro will be accepted in the Netherlands. Major credit cards are accepted in most of the hotels and stores.

THE NETHERLANDS

The Netherlands is best known for tulips, windmills and clogs. Kinderdijk’s 19 windmills are on the World Heritage List. Dutch flowers are well known all over the world. The scenery ranges from flat polder land in the west and north to forest and heathery land in the middle, south and east.

Over the centuries, the Dutch had to protect themselves against water by building dikes and reclaiming land from the sea, thus creating famous lowland polders and impressive water defences. For sea lovers, the Netherlands offers splendid wide beaches.

MAASTRICHT

Many centuries ago, the Romans crossed the river Meuse here and many European cultures and trade have come together in Maastricht & surrounding area ever since. Today, you can still feel, taste and experience this multi-cultural touch everywhere.

The streets are full of reminders that Maastricht once served as a Roman post, a city of pilgrimage, a medieval fortified, military city to a handcrafts centre where the Dutch Industrial Revolution began. The city it is today has a lot of remains proving and showing these developments.

Old buildings are joined by renovated buildings, museums, bridges (old and surprisingly modern), an art university and districts where new, defiant architecture is combined with the old. The city treasures its past and new buildings are designed to fit into and respect the existing old architecture.

Maastricht has a compact city centre; almost all hot spots are within walking distance. Experience the good life of Maastricht strolling the streets for shopping in one of the many boutiques or relax on one of the local terraces or cafes with a cup of coffee or a locally brewed beer. Maastricht has the highest density of cafés in Holland, so you are sure to find something to your liking.

TEFAF

TEFAF is the world's leading art and antiques fair, held every year in MECC Maastricht. No where else will you find such an elegantly displayed selection of genuine masterpieces from over 220 of the world’s most prestigious international dealers.

Art lovers from all over the world gather in Maastricht, some of them fly by private jet to Maastricht-Aachen Airport. The whole city of Maastricht breaths TEFAF during those weeks. Shop keepers make an "arty" shop-window, TEFAF flags are hanging in the streets, restaurants and bars have TEFAF meals, museums naturally adjust their progammes to this import art fair, etcetera. For more information: .

TEFAF 2012 takes place from 16-25 March so why not take the opportunity and come to Maastricht before the CCCF and visit this exhibition.

INFORMATION AND QUESTIONS

Questions regarding logistics should be directed to the Codex Contact Point by mail: info@codexalimentarius.nl.

ANNEX I

VISA information

Where can I apply for a visa?

You can apply for a Schengen visa at the Dutch mission (embassy or consulate) in the country where you reside or are entitled to reside. In some countries, you may apply for a visa to an outside agency. You can find the addresses and websites of the Dutch missions at mfa.nl.

If there is no Dutch mission in the country where you reside or where you wish to apply for a visa, you can phone the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in The Hague (+31 (0)70 348 5622) to ask where the nearest mission is located.

You must apply for the visa at a mission of the Schengen country of your journey’s main destination or the Schengen country where you intend to stay the longest. If you will be staying an equal length of time in more than one Schengen country and cannot designate one of these countries as the country of your main destination, you must apply for your visa at the mission of the first Schengen country you intend to enter. In countries where the Dutch mission works with an outside provider, you can also submit your application directly to the mission.

How do I apply for a visa?

In principle, the earliest you can be issued with a visa is 3 months before the date you will first need to use it. So, even if you make an appointment well in advance, if you are planning to travel, for example, on 1 August, you will not be issued with the visa before 1 May

To apply for a Schengen visa, you must complete a visa application form, sign it in two places (at question 37 and at the end of the form), and affix one passport photograph to it. The passport photograph must be of good quality and measure 35x45 mm. Click on the link at the top right of the page to download the MVV application form as a PDF file. You must submit your visa application in person at the Schengen country’s mission. When doing so, you must be able to produce a passport that is no more than ten years old and will be valid for at least 90 days after your visa expires.

What conditions must I meet?

The number and types of documents to be enclosed will partly depend on the Schengen country to which you are applying and the nature of the visa application. We recommend that you find out in advance what documents you need (either by going online or by phoning the mission where you intend to submit your application). The mission will provide information in the local language.

The mission assessing your application will establish whether your presence poses a danger to public order, national security or international relations, and whether you have already been refused entry to the Schengen Area. It will take account of the purpose of your visit when assessing these risks and the risk that you may remain in the country illegally.

The most common reasons for visiting the Schengen Area are:

• visiting family/friends

• tourism

• business

Depending on the purpose of your visit, you may be asked to produce certain documentary evidence, such as:

• documents showing your ability to pay your travel and accommodation expenses;

• hotel reservations, an invitation from private individuals or business connections, a legalised letter of invitation, or a guarantor’s declaration;

• documents showing that you intend to return to your country of origin (such as an employer’s declaration or the deeds to your home);

• a medical travel insurance policy that will cover any costs of repatriation on medical grounds, urgent medical care, or emergency hospital treatment. The insurance policy must be valid for the entire Schengen Area and the entire duration of your stay, and it must provide minimum cover of €30,000. If you cannot make an advance arrangement with your insurance provider that the costs will be repaid if the visa is refused, you will not have to produce this insurance policy until you collect your visa.

How long does it take to get a visa?

Although it usually takes anything up to fifteen days to process a visa application, this process may take up to 30 days if further investigation is necessary. In exceptional cases, an investigation will take up to two months. If you are travelling to the Schengen Area for the first time, you should certainly apply for your visa in good time to make sure that you can travel on the dates you planned.

How long is a visa valid?

Visas are normally issued for the duration you specify, with a maximum of 90 days per 180 days. The visa shows the number of days you are permitted to stay in the Schengen Area, as well as the activation and expiry dates. Please allow for possible delays during your journey, and do not plan on travelling on the very last day that the visa is valid. Leave yourself some extra time.

Who decides whether my visa application is approved?

Most missions may take independent decisions on visa applications. But since Schengen visas are valid for 25 countries, some countries require that they be notified of or consulted about visa applications from citizens of certain countries. The consultation process may take up to seven days, so you should take account of this when applying for a visa. Click here to see the lists of countries to whose citizens this requirement applies (one list for the ‘notification’ requirement and one for the ‘consultation’ requirement).

Even if a mission is not obliged to do so, it may choose to refer a visa application to the authorities in the Netherlands for advice or further investigation. Depending on the purpose of the visit, such an application will be assessed by either the Visa Service of the Ministry of Justice, or the Aliens and Visas Division (DCM/VV) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

What can I do if my visa application is refused?

If the visa-granting authority refuses your application, it will send you a copy of the decision explaining why. You may object to this decision in writing (not email) within four weeks of its issue (details of where to send your objection are enclosed with the decision). You may also authorise a person to object to the decision on your behalf or to represent you in any hearing. This person must have written authorisation (in Dutch, French, German or English) to do so, signed by you.

The visa-granting authority will then decide on your objection. If it decides in your favour, it will authorise the mission to issue you with a visa. If it decides against you, it will send you a copy of its decision, explaining why your objection has been denied. The objection procedure usually takes some months.

Who requires a visa?

Whether a prospective visitor requires a visa depends on his nationality and how long he intends to stay in the Netherlands. Nationals of many countries require a visa for an uninterrupted stay of up to three months.

Nationals who need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days

|Afghanistan |Georgia |Northern Mariana |

|Albania |Ghana |Oman |

|Algeria |Grenada |Pakistan |

|Angola |Guinea |Palau |

|Armenia |Guinea-Bissau |Palestinian Authority |

|Azerbaijan |Guyana |Papua New Guinea |

|Bahrain |Haiti |Peru |

|Bangladesh |India |The Philippines |

|Belarus |Indonesia |Qatar |

|Belize |Iran |Russian Federation |

|Benin |Iraq |Rwanda |

|Bhutan |Jamaica |Samoa |

|Bolivia |Jordan |São Tomé e Principe |

|Bosnia-Herzegovina |Kazakhstan |Saudi Arabia |

|Botswana |Kenya |Senegal |

|Burkina Faso |Kiribati |Sierra Leone |

|Burma (see Myanmar) |Kosovo |Solomon Islands |

|Burundi |Kuwait |Somalia |

|Cambodia |Kyrgyzstan |South Africa |

|Cameroon |Laos |Sri Lanka |

|Cape Verde |Lebanon |St Lucia |

|Central African Republic |Lesotho |St Vincent and the Grenadines |

|Chad |Liberia |Sudan |

|China (PRC) |Libya |Suriname |

|Colombia |Madagascar |Swaziland |

|Comoros |Malawi |Syria |

|Congo (Brazzaville) |Maldives |Taiwan* |

|Côte d’Ivoire |Mali |Tajikistan |

|Cuba |Marshall Islands |Tanzania |

|Democratic Republic of Congo |Mauritania |Thailand |

|Djibouti |Micronesia |Timor-Leste |

|Dominica |Moldova |Togo |

|Dominican Republic |Mongolia |Tonga |

|Ecuador |Morocco |Trinidad & Tobago |

|Egypt |Mozambique |Tunisia |

|Equatorial Guinea |Myanmar (formerly Burma) |Turkey |

|Eritrea |Namibia |Turkmenistan |

|Ethiopia |Nauru |Tuvalu |

|Fiji Islands |Nepal |Uganda |

|Gabon |Niger |Ukraine |

|The Gambia |Nigeria |United Arab Emirates |

| |North Korea |Uzbekistan |

| | |Vanuatu |

| | |Vietnam |

| | |Yemen |

| | |Zambia |

| | |Zimbabwe |

* The Kingdom of the Netherlands does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign state and recognises Taiwanese passports as travel documents only.

Nationals who DO NOT need a visa for a stay of up to 90 days

|Andorra |Germany |Panama |

|Antigua & Barbuda |Greece |Paraguay |

|Argentina |Guatemala |Poland |

|Australia |Honduras |Portugal |

|Austria |Hungary |Romania |

|The Bahamas |Iceland |San Marino |

|Barbados |Ireland |Serbia ** |

|Belgium |Israel |Seychelles |

|Brazil |Italy |Singapore |

|Brunei |Japan |Slovakia |

|Bulgaria |Latvia |Slovenia |

|Canada |Liechtenstein |South Korea |

|Chile |Lithuania |Spain |

|Costa Rica |Luxembourg |St Kitts and Nevis |

|Croatia |(FYR) Macedonia * |Sweden |

|Cyprus |Malaysia |Switzerland |

|Czech Republic |Malta |United Kingdom |

|Denmark |Mauritius |United States |

|El Salvador |Mexico |Uruguay |

|Estonia |Monaco |Vatican City |

|Finland |Montenegro * |Venezuela |

|France |New Zealand | |

| |Nicaragua | |

| |Norway | |

* The visa exemption applies only to holders of biometric passports.

** Except for holders of a Serbian passport issued by the Serbian Coordination Directorate (Koordinaciona uprava).

I have more than one nationality. Do I require a visa?

If you have more than one nationality, whether you require a visa depends on which travel document you intend to travel on. If it is a passport of a country whose nationals require a visa, you will also require a visa even if you have another nationality for which no visa is required. The country in which you are residing is irrelevant to whether you require a visa, although you must be residing legally in the country in which you submit your application.

Do I require a visa with a travel document from a third country?

Yes. Persons with travel documents for aliens and refugees issued by third countries always require a visa no matter what their nationality or which country issued these documents. An exception is made for refugees with travel documents issued by 16 European countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

Nationals of certain countries also require an airport transit visa to change aircraft at a Dutch airport, even though they do not actually enter Dutch territory.

Countries whose nationals need an airport transit visa:

|Afghanistan |Ethiopia |Nigeria** |

|Angola |Gambia |Pakistan |

|Bangladesh |Ghana** |Sierra Leone |

|Colombia |Guinea * |Sudan |

|DR Congo |Iran |Somalia |

|Eritrea |Iraq |Sri Lanka |

| |Nepal |Syria |

* Nationals of Guinea do not need an airport transit visa for Belgium provided they are in possession of a valid visa for one of the EER-countries, Andorra, Canada, Japan, Monaco, San Marino, United States of America or Switzerland.

** As from 1 May 2008 nationals of Ghana and Nigeria do not need an airport transit visa for Benelux, Germany, Italy and Spain provided they are in possession of a valid visa for for the United States, Canada, Japan, EER-countries and Switzerland

Countries whose nationals do NOT require an MVV for a stay of more than 90 days

|Australia |Ireland |Portugal |

|Austria |Italy |Romania |

|Belgium |Japan |Slovakia |

|Bulgaria |Latvia |Slovenia |

|Canada |Liechtenstein |South Korea |

|Cyprus |Lithuania |Spain |

|Czech Republic |Luxembourg |Sweden |

|Denmark |Malta |Switzerland |

|Estonia |Monaco |United Kingdom |

|Finland |New Zealand |United States |

|France |Norway | |

|Germany |Poland | |

|Greece | | |

|Hungary | | |

|Iceland | | |

Nationals who must have an airport transit visa (ATV)

Joint list of countries whose citizens are required by all the Schengen states to possess an airport transit visa when they are in the international transit area of airports in the territory of Schengen states. Holders of travel documents issued by the countries on this list are subject to the same requirement:

|Afghanistan |

|Bangladesh |

|Democratic Republic Of The Congo |

|Eritrea |

|Ethiopia |

|Ghana |

|Iran |

|Iraq |

|Nigeria |

|Pakistan |

|Somalia |

|Sri Lanka |

List of countries whose citizens are required by the Netherlands to possess an airport transit visa when they are in the international transit area of airports in Dutch territory. Holders of travel documents issued by the countries on the list are subject to the same requirement:

|Angola |

|Colombia |

|Gambia |

|Guinea |

|Guinea Bissau |

|Nepal |

|Sierra Leone |

|Sudan |

|Syria |

The following persons are exempted from the requirement to possess an airport transit visa:

• holders of a valid uniform visa, national long-stay visa or residence permit issued by a member state;

• third-country nationals holding the valid residence permits issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States of America guaranteeing the holder’s unconditional readmission;

• third-country nationals holding a valid visa for a member state or for a state party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area of 2 May 1992, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or when they return from those countries after having used the visa;

• family members of citizens of the Union;

• holders of diplomatic passports;

• flight crew members who are nationals of a contracting party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

For which countries is a Schengen visa valid?

The visa is valid for the entire Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland.

ANNEX II

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ANNEX III

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Reservation Form BRUSSELS Airport Int.

|ARRIVAL Airport Brussels |DEPARTURE Airport Brussels |

|Arrival Date: |Departure Date: |

|Arrival Time Flight*: |Departure time flight: |

| | |

|(*your pick up time is between your arrival time of the flight and 1 hour later)| |

|Flight Details: |Flight details: |

|MEETING POINT = Java Corner in Arrival Hall (across the Gate). |Check in Time*: |

| | |

| |(*between this time and 1 hour before we may leave you at the |

| |airport. Please call the day before to check your exact pick |

| |up time) |

|No. of passengers: |No. of passengers: |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|GEGEVENS PASSAGIERS | |

|CLIENT INFORMATION | |

|Name: |

|Address (delivery address - pick-up address in Maastricht): |

|Postal Code + City + Country: |

|Mobile no: In case of emergency: |

|Booking made by: Fax no or email address: |

|Payment : private person (cash in shuttle) Amount: |

To be completed by Taxi Brull:

|Reservation confirmed did. … - … - … by ………………………….. (name and signature employee) |

Taxi Brull Maastricht

Posthoornstraat 75, 6219NV Maastricht

Tel. 043- 343 00 00 Fax. 043-343 04 60

Website brull.nl E-mail Info@brull.nl

Reservation Form DUSSELDORF Airport Int.

|ARRIVAL Airport Dusseldorf |DEPARTURE Airport Dusseldorf |

|Arrival Date: |Departure Date: |

|Arrival Time Flight*: |Departure time flight: |

| | |

|(*your pick up time is between your arrival time of the flight and| |

|1 hour later) | |

|Flight Details: |Flight details: |

|MEETING POINT = Info Centre/ Central Meeting Point (in Arrival |Check in Time*: |

|Hall) | |

| |(*between this time and 1 hour before we may leave you at the airport. Please|

| |call the day before to check your exact pick up time) |

|No. of passengers: |No. of passengers: |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

| | |

|GEGEVENS PASSAGIERS | |

|CLIENT INFORMATION | |

|Name: |

|Address (delivery address - pick-up address in Maastricht): |

|Postal Code + City + Country: |

|Mobile no: In case of emergency: |

|Booking made by: Fax no or email address: |

|Payment : private person (cash in shuttle) Amount: |

To be completed by Taxi Brull:

|Reservation confirmed did. … - … - … by ………………………….. (name and signature employee) |

Taxi Brull Maastricht

Posthoornstraat 75, 6219NV Maastricht

Tel. 043- 343 00 00 Fax. 043-343 04 60

Website brull.nl E-mail Info@brull.nl

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