L 309/14 Official Journal of the European Union 26.11.2003 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 17 November 2003 on the accession of the European Community to the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2003/822/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Com- munity, and in particular Articles 37, 95, 133 and 152(4) in conjunction with the first subparagraph of Article 300(3) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (*), Whereas: The object of the Codex Alimentarius Commission is, inter alia, to develop and harmonise world-wide health standards and to issue guidelines and recommendations on agricultural and fishery products, foodstuffs, food additives and contaminants, feedstuffs, veterinary drugs, pesticides, including labelling, methods of analysis and sampling, codes of ethics and good agricultural practice and guidelines of hygiene practice, in view of protecting consumers' health and ensuring fair practices in interna- tional trade. These objectives are in line with the objec- tives of the European Community as regards measures taken to protect human, animal or plant life or health or the environment and related international trade measures, and harmonisation of national legislation, in particular as regards foodstuffs, food additives and contaminants, including labelling and methods of analysis and sampling, with a view to ensuring free circulation in the internal market and imports from third countries. (") Opinion dated 7 November 2001 (not yet published in the Official Journal). ) Since 1994, with the entry into force of the WTO Agreements, in particular the Agreement on the applica- tion of Sanitary and Phytosanirary Measures (SPS Agree- ment) and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT Agreement), Codex Alimentarius standards, guide- lines and recommendations have acquired increased legal relevance by virtue of the reference made to the Codex Alimentarius in the WTO Agreements and the presump- tion of conformity which is conferred on relevant national measures when they are based on such stan- dards, guidelines or recommendations adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. The European Community should be able to exercise its competence and play its role during the preparation, negotiation and adoption of standards, guidelines or recommendations by the Codex Alimentarius Commis- sion and its subsidiary bodies. Accession of the European Community as a full member of Codex Alimentarius, alongside its Member States, is essential in order to ensure that the primary health and other interests of the European Community and its Member States are taken into consideration during the preparation, negotiation and adoption of such standards, guidelines or recom- mendations and other provisions by the Codex Alimen- tarius Commission. The accession of the European Community as a full member of the Codex Alimentarius should help rein- force coherence between the standards, guidelines or recommendations and other provisions adopted by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and other relevant international obligations of the European Community. On 26 November 1991, the European Community became a Member, alongside the Member States, of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).