Environment committee  The issue here is related to the implementation of Pan-Canadian measures. If criteria are established according to which all Canadian companies and citizens are treated the same way, regardless of where they are in Canada, with regard to the implementation of regulations or specific agreements, the signing of equivalency agreements will not remove the federal minister's responsibility in this regard.

Environment committee  To my knowledge, no.

Environment committee  Mr. Chairman, I would be pleased to try to shed some light on the questions put by the member. First of all, we have signed an equivalency agreement with Alberta, and discussions are underway with each of Canada's provinces with a view to signing other agreements. However, the majority of provinces prefer to sign equivalency agreements for individual issues, or individual activities.

Environment committee  I will start the answer, and I will let Paul and John complete it. Part 5 is a crucial part of the act and a tricky part of the act at the same time. It is a part where there is a lot of work that has to be done to make sure we have the right science on which to base judgment on whatever we have to do.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. President. My name is Cécile Cléroux. I'm the assistant deputy minister of the environmental stewardship branch at Environment Canada. I think it would be best if each of us identified ourselves so that you know who's present at the table.

Environment committee  Mr. Chairman, if you would allow us, we would like to first make a general presentation on CEPA 1999, so that everybody has the basic information. Shortly after, we think it would be good to have follow-up questions. We have provided each of the members of the committee with a binder that has a number of documents that have been published over the last few years.