Negotiations on a new Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (ECA) completed
30 November 2018 – Today the Governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States signed a new trade agreement to update and modernize the North American Free Trade Agreement of 1994.
The Parties also announced the completion of negotiations on a new Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (ECA) that is expected to supersede the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation of 1994. The ECA is designed to modernize and enhance the effectiveness of environmental cooperation between the Parties, including by supporting implementation of the strengthened environmental commitments in the trade agreement. The ECA retains a Commission for Environmental Cooperation with a Council, Secretariat and Joint Public Advisory Committee.
The text of the new Environmental Cooperation Agreement is available on the following websites:
MEXICO
CANADA
UNITED STATES
About the CEC
The Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) was established in 1994 by the governments of Canada, Mexico and the United States through the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation, a parallel environmental agreement to NAFTA. As of 2020, the CEC is recognized and maintained by the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, in parallel with the new Free Trade Agreement of North America. The CEC brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including the general public, Indigenous people, youth, nongovernmental organizations, academia, and the business sector, to seek solutions to protect North America’s shared environment while supporting sustainable development for the benefit of present and future generations
The CEC is governed and funded equally by the Government of Canada through Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Government of the United States of Mexico through the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, and the Government of the United States of America through the Environmental Protection Agency.