| Toronto, 2/08/1996 – The North American environment ministers today announced the establishment of a working group to develop strategies for boosting the enforcement of environment laws in the three North American countries.
Canadian Environment Minister Sergio Marchi announced the public-private partnership at the close of a day-and-a-half meeting with his two counterparts, US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Carol M. Browner and Mexican Secretary of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries Julia Carabias. Together, the three officials form the governing body of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), created by the environmental side accord to NAFTA.
“Cooperative enforcement and compliance projects are key to achieving progress in this area,” Minister Marchi said. “We must reach for the top standard in our environmental laws and enforce them diligently.”
The North American Working Group on Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation will be composed of senior-level environmental officials from the three countries. The group is intended to provide a forum for the exchange of information and the development of enforcement strategies.
“Enforcement cooperation among our three countries will help all of us implement our environmental laws more effectively and thereby improve the quality of life for our citizens,” said Administrator Browner.
Current joint enforcement initiatives between Canada, Mexico and the United States include joint action on improved systems for tracking illegal transborder movement of hazardous substances and wastes, capacity-building for enforcing anti-smuggling laws on chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and enforcement of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES).
“In order to reach our environmental goals, we must seek the strict application of our laws while encouraging public participation,” said Secretary Carabias.
The three North American environment ministers today also released the first Annual Report on Enforcement. This report explains each of the three countries’ environmental and wildlife strategies, as well as specific actions.
The North American environment ministers’ meeting, which included a three-hour public session, concluded Friday with a closing press conference. The CEC, based in Montreal, is equally funded by the three NAFTA partners.
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