Thank you, Daniel.
Madame Chair, honourable members, I echo Daniel's thanks to you for the opportunity to be here today.
The screening of airport workers, as mentioned, has been the focus of the CAC security committee in conjunction with Transport Canada and CATSA for several years. We work very closely with our colleagues at Transport Canada to mitigate the operational impacts while achieving the security outcomes of the enhanced non-passenger screening program that is implemented at airports across Canada. The changes to the program, which involved about $150 million in airport-funded infrastructure investments, keep Canada at pace with our international peers and in compliance with the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
As a result of the non-passenger screening program enhancements, we have what we believe to be a robust system of screening. Through recurrent biographical screening via the transportation security clearance, biometric identity verification provided by the restricted area identity card, and airport access control systems, in conjunction with physical screening through CATSA checkpoints, we are verifying in real time that people accessing security-sensitive areas at the airport are who they say they are and, through screening, are determined not to be carrying prohibited items.
The enhanced program also provides Canada greater credibility with international partners. This has allowed Canada to enter into mutual recognition security agreements with our counterparts in Europe and the United States. This eliminates the duplication of security screening for some transiting passengers, which in turn allows airports to offer more convenient and faster connection processes for passengers in a globally competitive marketplace.
Though we have a strong system of regulations and practices, in the broader picture, we need all federal partners to contribute to its success. In particular, attention needs to be paid to the transportation security clearance process, the foundational security check for all employees at airports who have access to restricted areas.