Notice of Intent to Conduct Strategic Environmental Assessments of Free Trade Agreements between Canada and the Dominican Republic, the Andean Community Countries and the Caribbean Community

Closing date: November 20, 2007 - The Government of Canada has recently launched free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the Dominican Republic, the Andean Community countries of Colombia and Peru, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). In this context, the Government will be undertaking Strategic Environmental Assessments of proposed FTAs with the aforementioned trading partners. Comments are invited on any likely and significant environmental impacts of these three initiatives on Canada.

The Government of Canada is committed to sustainable development. Mutually supportive trade and environmental policies can contribute to this objective. To this end, officers are undertaking an environmental assessment of these trade negotiations, guided by the 2001 Framework for Conducting Environmental Assessments of Trade Negotiations with direction from the 1999 Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan, and Program Proposals.

Additional information on these FTA initiatives is available on the following web sites:

All interested parties are invited to submit their views on likely and significant environmental impacts of these aforementioned FTAs on Canada by November 20, 2007. Please identify the specific FTA to which comments are being directed.

Contributions can be sent by email, fax or mail to:

Environmental Assessment of the [insert name of FTA]
Consultations and Liaison Division
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa Ontario K1A 0G2
E-mail: consultations@international.gc.ca
Fax: (613) 944-3489