Bilateral Relations

Canada — EU Commission

Canada's environmental relations with the European Commission began in 1975 with the signing of an Exchange of Letters on Environmental Cooperation, and was followed in 1976 with a Framework Agreement for Commercial and Economic Cooperation. Since then, Canada and the European Commission have been building a network of ties for scientific and technical exchanges in a number of areas, including the environment.

Over the years, Canada and the European Commission have established a series of mechanisms for policy consultations to address a number of issues of mutual interest, including the environment. Since 1991 high level consultations on environmental policy take place on a regular basis between the Deputy Minister of Environment Canada and the Director General (DM equivalent) of the Environment Directorate-General, European Commission

These one-day bilateral consultations tend to take place in an informal atmosphere so as to encourage frank and open discussion on topical issues of mutual interest and exchange views on respective approaches in anticipation of major international environmental and sustainable development events. They are held approximately every 12 months, alternately in Brussels and Gatineau. The last meeting was hosted by Environment Canada in September 2004.

Illustration of Work

Thus far, bilateral cooperation has included exploratory missions dealing with packaging and recycling issues, as well as information exchanges in areas such as environmental technologies, emissions trading systems, wastewater treatment and protection of stratospheric ozone. Other exchanges have dealt with state of the environment reporting and comparative work on environmental indicators.