Environment committee  I'm not sure if the term “national” is actually defined in the bill. The bill is intended to be binding on the federal government, as I understand it. I wouldn't want to try to interpret what the term “national” implies here. My point was not the use of the term “national”, but

Environment committee  I think we can examine the experience in the area of the environment in terms of federal-provincial cooperation. I think there have been many successes in terms of that cooperation and collaboration. It is a collaborative effort, however, and it simply takes time. I was simply

Environment committee  I have read a bit about the experience in Sweden. It's my understanding that Sweden is a unitary state, but again I'm not an expert on that. In terms of the question of subsidiarity within the EU, again I'm afraid I'm not an expert in that area.

Environment committee  The directive on strategic environmental assessment is administered by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and by the Privy Council Office. Since 1990, as you know, major government initiatives, proposals, are subject to a strategic environmental assessment. And Bill C-3

Environment committee  —yes, would have been subject to a strategic environmental assessment, but I would have to defer to the Privy Council Office as to the specific status of that bill, of that assessment, and whether it could be tabled or not. I simply don't know the answer to that question, sir.

Environment committee  No, I'm sorry, I have not received a copy of that document.

Environment committee  I have participated in some of those discussions, yes.

Environment committee  I have to confess I'm not an expert on the Swedish situation. I certainly did not use the word “insurmountable”. I simply said that if the bill required us to launch a regulatory exercise to make regulations in each of these areas, there are 323 items in the National Pollutant

Environment committee  Right. And it would also depend on the areas of engagement. Because we collaborate with the provinces in defining the appropriate roles for provincial action and for federal action in any area at any point in time, it is quite important to try to have some understanding of the go

Environment committee  It's not for me to say whether the bill is too ambitious or too broad. I'm simply looking at the schedule, which is a long list, and then what I understand to be the requirements of the bill in relation to the schedule. If the requirement is for us to make regulations in each of

Environment committee  I said extensive.

Environment committee  It would certainly have a cost, and I imagine it would be significant, yes.

Environment committee  In fairness, Mr. Chairman, the bill, as I read it--and I don't pretend to have mastered all its clauses--is not specific in how it would engage the provinces if indeed the assumption is that subclause 8(3) implies that the provinces would be engaged at that stage only. Then, as I

Environment committee  Most certainly.

Environment committee  I would think it would need to.