U.S.-PERU HOLD ENVIRONMENTAL MEETINGS

Photos:  Peruvian Mask (Left) and Peruvian Art Object (Below).  Credit:  Wikimedia.
FROM:  U.S.  DEPARTMENT OF STATE
United States and Peru Hold Environmental Meetings
Media Note Office of the Spokesperson Washington, DC
May 31, 2012
The Governments of the United States and Peru convened a series of environmental meetings related to the U.S. - Peru Trade Promotion Agreement (PTPA) from May 29-31 in Washington, D.C. The governments also held a public session, providing interested stakeholders with the opportunity to raise issues and ask questions about implementation efforts.

Peru and the United States reviewed the progress that has been made to ensure effective implementation of, and compliance with, the obligations under the Environment Chapter of the PTPA. They highlighted key steps each country has undertaken in the past year to strengthen efforts to provide for high levels of environmental protection and discussed details of an independent secretariat called for under the PTPA to receive and consider submissions claiming that a party is failing to effectively enforce its environmental laws.
Officials discussed progress implementing the Annex on Forest Sector Governance (Annex) of the Environment Chapter of the PTPA, including Peru’s efforts to develop regulations to implement its new Forestry and Wildlife Law and processes to audit and verify timber producers and exporters.

The governments reviewed implementation of the Environmental Cooperation Agreement, in particular the status of cooperative environmental activities under the 2011-2014 Work Program, which focuses primarily on implementing the Annex. They also outlined a process for the coordination of future activities, discussed mechanisms for monitoring and evaluation, and shared experiences about the implementation of environmental cooperation work programs pursuant to other free trade agreements.