Submissions on Enforcement Matters

Commission for Environmental Cooperation

Filing a Submission

Considering filing a Submission?

Answer these 3 questions when considering whether to file a submission:

  1. Can you identify an environmental law which you believe is not being effectively enforced regarding a specific environmental issue?
  2. Have you contacted the appropriate country representative?
  3. Do you have documents or other information supporting your assertion?

Please note that as of July 1, 2020, the SEM Process is now governed by Articles 24.27 and 24.28 from the Environment Chapter of CUSMA/TMEC/USMCA. There are some changes to the process, particularly with respect to which environmental laws can be asserted in a submission.

For more detailed information, please click here.

Who can file a Submission?

Any non-governmental organization or person established or residing in Canada, Mexico or the United States may file a submission on enforcement matters.

How to file a Submission?

For a step-by-step guide on filing a submission, please use this simple fillable form. Or you can send your submission to SEM@cec.org.

Filing a Submission

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As of July 1, 2020, the SEM process is governed by the provisions of the new trade agreement among Canada, Mexico and the United States The agreement is known as CUSMA, T-MEC, and USMCA in each of these three countries, respectively. The SEM provisions are included in Chapter 24 (Environment): Article 24.27 (Submissions) and Article 24.28 (Factual Records and Related Cooperation).

The SEM-related provisions from Chapter 24, the applicable SEM-related definitions from Chapter 1, and the complete Environmental Cooperation Agreement (ECA) are available on our “Filing a Submission” page under Publications.

Aside from shortening certain SEM-related time frames for the Secretariat’s review of a submission and the Party’s review of submissions referred by the Secretariat, the new trade agreement does not significantly change the SEM process from the previous North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) SEM process, except in two areas:

  1. the trade agreement narrows the scope of environmental laws that can be invoked in a submission to those enacted, promulgated or enforced by the central level of government in each Party (see the applicable definition of “environmental law” in Article 24.1); and
  2. submitters are no longer limited to residents of or non-governmental organizations established in the territory of a Party, as they were under the NAAEC, but are now defined to include “any person [or enterprise] of a Party”(see the applicable definitions of these terms in Article 1.5 (General Definitions).

If you are considering filing a submission, the Secretariat refers you to visit the “Filing a Submission” page and use our fillable form and instructions, which summarize the new requirements and guide you through the process of what you need to include in your submission.

SEM Process Steps

Registry of all Submissions Browse Factual Records

Publications

SEM-Related Provisions

Excerpts from Chapter 1 and 24 of the CUSMA/TMEC/USMCA and complete Environmental Cooperation Agreement

Submissions Status Report

To know the status of all active and closed Submissions

Guidelines for Submissions on Enforcement Matters

This booklet contains the Guidelines for Submissions on Enforcement Matters created to implement the process under North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation.

Contact SEM

If you have questions about the submission process, contact the SEM unit:

Paolo Solano Tovar
Director of Legal Affairs and Submissions on Enforcement Matters (SEM)
(514) 350-4321