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Council Resolution 96-06

Council Resolution 96-06

Distribution:  General

C/96-00/RES/09/rev.4

ORIGINAL:  ENGLISH

Toronto, August 2, 1996

Resolution to Establish the North American Working Group on Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation

THE COUNCIL:

REAFFIRMING the following objectives of Article 1 of the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC): to strengthen cooperation on the development and improvement of environmental laws, regulations, procedures, policies and practices; and to enhance compliance with, and enforcement of, environmental laws and regulations;

ACKNOWLEDGING the obligation of the Parties under Article 5 of the NAAEC to effectively enforce their respective environmental laws and regulations with the common aim of achieving high levels of environmental protection and compliance;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the Council obligation under Article 10(4) of the NAAEC to encourage effective enforcement by each Party of its environmental laws and regulations; compliance with those laws and regulations; and technical cooperation between the Parties;

ACKNOWLEDGING the existing efforts by the enforcement officials of the Parties to participate in cooperative environmental enforcement and compliance initiatives;

PURSUANT to the obligation under Article 12 of the NAAEC to prepare and release to the public an annual report of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), including actions taken by each Party in connection with its obligations under the NAAEC and data on each Party’s environmental enforcement activities;

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the objectives and purposes of the Memorandum of Understanding establishing the Trilateral Committee for Conservation and Management of Wildlife and Ecosystems between the Canadian Wildlife Service, the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente, Recursos Naturales y Pesca de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos(SEMARNAP)(Secretary of the Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries of the United Mexican States) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service signed in Oaxaca on April 10, 1996, and noting the recognition of wildlife enforcement officials in that Committee;

CONSISTENT WITH article 9(5)(a) of the NAAEC which allows the Council to establish and assign responsibilities to working groups or expert groups;

HEREBY AGREES TO:

ESTABLISH the North American Working Group on Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation (EECC) whose membership shall include those senior level environmental enforcement officials designated by the Parties to operate under the following agreed terms of reference by:

1.      taking action to strengthen cooperation among the Parties in environmental enforcement and compliance;

1.      enhancing cooperation among the environmental enforcement agencies in recognition of shared enforcement and compliance challenges;

2.      facilitating and support cooperative enforcement and compliance initiatives;

3.      exchanging information and experiences with alternative approaches to enforcement and compliance;

4.      facilitating training opportunities among the three Parties;

5.      preparing on behalf of the Parties the report on environmental enforcement obligations and activities for the CEC annual report;

6.      recommending to the CEC program priorities relating to environmental enforcement and compliance;

7.      establishing or recognizing any subgroups, task forces or expert groups necessary to implement this mandate, consistent with the annual program and budget, as approved by the Council;

UNDERTAKE to provide direct support to those initiatives and activities of the EECC approved in the CEC annual program and budget, inclusive of travel and related expenses for their respective members in accordance with the availability of resources.

 

APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL:

(S) Carol M. Browner

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Carol M. Browner

Government of the United States of America

 

(S) Julia Carabias

__________________________________

Julia Carabias

Government of the United Mexican States

 

(S) Sergio Marchi

__________________________________

Sergio Marchi

Government of Canada

Resolution to Establish the North American Working Group on Environmental Enforcement and Compliance Cooperation