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1. The Parties recognize the importance of protecting, improving, and conserving the
environment, including natural resources, in their territories. The Parties underscore the
importance of promoting all possible forms of cooperation and reaffirm that cooperation on
environmental matters provides enhanced opportunities to advance common commitments to
achieve sustainable development for the well-being of present and future generations.
2. Recognizing the benefits that would be derived from a framework to facilitate effective
cooperation, the Parties negotiated the ECA. The Parties expect that the ECA will enhance their
cooperative relationship, noting the existence of differences in the Parties’ respective natural
endowments, climatic and geographical conditions, and economic, technological, and
infrastructure capabilities.
3. As set forth in Article V of the ECA, the Parties have identified the following priorities
for environmental cooperation activities:
(a) strengthening each Party’s environmental management systems, including
reinforcing institutional and legal frameworks and the capacity to develop, implement, administer, and enforce environmental laws, regulations, standards, and policies;
(b) developing and promoting incentives and other flexible and voluntary mechanisms in order to encourage environmental protection, including the development of market-based initiatives and economic incentives for
environmental management;
(c) fostering partnerships to address current or emerging conservation and management issues, including personnel training and capacity building;
(d) conserving and managing shared, migratory, and endangered species in
international trade and management of marine parks and other protected areas;
(e) exchanging information on domestic implementation of multilateral environmental agreements that all the Parties have ratified;
(f) promoting best practices leading to sustainable management of the environment;
(g) facilitating technology development and transfer and training to promote the use, proper operation, and maintenance of clean production technologies;
(h) developing and promoting environmentally beneficial goods and services;
(i) building capacity to promote public participation in the process of environmental decision-making;
(j) exchanging information and experiences between Parties wishing to perform environmental reviews, including reviews of trade agreements, at the national level; and
(k) other areas for environmental cooperation on which the Parties may agree.
4. Funding mechanisms for environmental cooperation activities under the ECA are
addressed in Article VIII of the ECA.
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