Notice of Intent to Conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement

The Government of Canada has recently launched negotiations for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) with India. It is now conducting a Strategic Environmental Assessment (EA) to inform these negotiations. Comments are invited on any likely and significant environmental impacts which this prospective CEPA may have on Canada.

The Government of Canada is committed to sustainable development. Mutually supportive trade, investment and environmental policies can contribute to this objective. To this end, the Minister of International Trade has directed trade officials to improve their understanding of, and information based on, the relationship between trade and environmental issues at the earliest stages of decision making, and to do this through an open and inclusive process. Environmental assessments of trade negotiations are critical to this work.

This process is guided by the 2001 Framework for Conducting Environmental Assessments of Trade Negotiations and with direction from the 2010 Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan, and Program Proposals.

For more information, please visit the following:

• Canada Gazette Notice – November 12, 2011 -  Notice of Intent to Conduct a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
• Launch of Free Trade Negotiations with India; and
• Canada-India Joint Study Report

All interested parties are invited to submit their views on any likely and significant environmental impacts on Canada resulting from the prospective Canada-India CEPA by January 11, 2012.

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

Canada-India CEPA Environmental Assessment
Trade Policy and Negotiations Division I (TPE)
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, Lester B. Pearson Building
125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0G2
EAconsultationsEE@international.gc.ca 
Fax: 613-944-0757