CEC Submission on Enforcement Matters Webinar with the Sustainability Network
On May 18, 2021 from 1:00-2:30pm (ET) the CEC will be co-hosting a webinar on the Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM) process with the Sustainability Network. The webinar will provide an overview of the steps involved in filing a submission under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC). It will also be an opportunity for participants to ask questions about the SEM process and explore it as an avenue for raising concerns about the effective enforcement of environmental law in their community.
Chapter 24 of the CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC includes a process where a nongovernmental organization, business entity, or national of Canada, Mexico or the United States may file a submission, asserting that one or more of the three countries is failing to effectively enforce its environmental law.
We will address the admissibility requirements for filing a submission, walk through all the steps in the submission process, and discuss how the Secretariat has treated recent submissions.
A recording of the webinar and presentation slides will be provided to all registrants. Please note that all participants will receive a confirmation email and a link to join the webinar through Zoom. The webinar will take place in English.
AGENDA
- Submissions process under Chapter 24 of CUSMA/USMCA/T-MEC
Paolo Solano, Director of Legal Affairs and Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM), CEC Secretariat - Step by step guide to filing a submission
Caitlin McCoy, Legal Officer, Legal Affairs & SEM, CEC Secretariat - Overview of the elements of a successful submission
Stepan Wood, Canada Research Chair in Law, Society and Sustainability and Director of the Centre for Law & the Environment at the Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia - Facilitated Q&A
The CEC SEM Process
The CEC Submissions on Enforcement Matters process supports public participation, information-sharing between governments and the public, and transparency and openness in the effective enforcement of environmental law in North America. If you have reason to believe that an environmental law is not being effectively enforced by Canada, Mexico or the United States, the SEM process may address your concerns.
Want to learn more about the SEM process? Please watch this two-minute video for an introduction: