Governmental Advisory Committees

Organizations and governments depend on good advice from a range of sources to act effectively and with foresight, and the NAFTA signatories recognized this when they made provision for advisory bodies in the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).

In accordance with Article 18 of NAAEC, governmental advisory committees, or GACs, consist of representatives of federal and state or provincial governments who offer advice on the implementation and development of the agreement. The members of the US GAC come from state, local, and tribal governments.

In accordance with Article 17 of NAAEC, national advisory committees (NACs) are made up of members of the public, including representatives of nongovernmental organizations, who advise their signatory governments on the implementation and further elaboration of the agreement.

•  US Governmental Advisory Committee: Please consult the EPA web site at: http://www.epa.gov/ocem/gac/index.html.

National Advisory Committees

Organizations and governments depend on good advice from a range of sources to act effectively and with foresight, and the NAFTA signatories recognized this when they made provision for advisory bodies in the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC).

In accordance with Article 17 of NAAEC, national advisory committees, or NACs, are made up of members of the public, including representatives of nongovernmental organizations, who advise their signatory governments on the implementation and further elaboration of the agreement.

The Canadian NAC's six members include representatives of the environmental, nongovernmental and business communities. Canada's NAC members are appointed by a government committee that is composed of environmental ministers from signatory provinces and the federal minister of the environment.

The Mexican NAC is headed by the federal minister of the environment, has 38 members and also functions as the National Consultative Committee for Sustainable Development. The 12 members of the US NAC are appointed by the EPA Administrator and advise the US Representative and Alternate Representative to the Council on a wide range of strategic, scientific, technological, regulatory and economic issues regarding the NAAEC.

In accordance with Article 18 of NAAEC, governmental advisory committees, or GACs, consist of representatives of federal and state or provincial governments who offer advice on the implementation and development of the agreement.

• Canada National Advisory Committee: Please consult the Environment Canada web site at http://www.naaec.gc.ca/eng/index_e.htm.
• Mexico National Advisory Committee: Mateo Castillo Ceja, Coordinador de Asuntos Ambientales, Coordinación de Cámaras y Asociaciones, Empresariales del Edo. de Michoacán, Reforma Agraria N° 400-31, El Pueblito, San José del Cerrito, Morelia Mich. 58089, México, tel: (524) 320-1039, fax: (524) 315-7784, e-mail: mateo@mail.giga.com
• US National Advisory Committee: Please consult the EPA web site at http://www.epa.gov/ocem/nac/index.html.