[20040928]97-291_北美自由贸易协定：相关环境问题和倡议.pdf

Congressional Research Service The Library of CongressCRS Report for CongressReceived through the CRS WebOrder Code 97-291 ENRUpdated September 28, 2004NAFTA: Related Environmental Issues and Initiatives-name redacted-Specialist in Environmental PolicyResources, Science, and Industry DivisionSummaryThe North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) includes severalenvironment-related provisions, that while limited, were unprecedented for theirinclusion in a trade agreement. However, further environmental (and labor) assuranceswere needed to secure passage of NAFTA, and ultimately, the negotiating parties agreedto a side accord that promotes cooperation on environmental matters and includesprovisions to address a partys failure to enforce environmental laws. Additionally, theUnited States and Mexico entered into the Border Environmental CooperationAgreement (BECA), which authorized the establishment of the Border EnvironmentCooperation Commission (BECC) and the North American Development Bank (NADB)to help border communities finance environmental infrastructure projects.In the 108th Congress, NAFTAs environmental provisions and related institutionshave continued to receive attention. A