In 1993, environmental objections to NAFTA resulted in the establishment of the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC), the first international organization created to address issues related to trade and the environment. The CEC is also the first regional environmental agency in North America with innovative tools, almost unlimited jurisdiction, and unprecedented opportunities for participation by civil society at the international level.

The lessons to be drawn from the CEC’s experience should be of great value to all those interested in environmental protection and economic integration, regional and global environmental organizations, and participation of civil society in international policy. Surprisingly, however, the CEC has received little scholarly attention, to date. This book is intended to fill that gap by providing a comprehensive analysis of how the organization has fulfilled, or failed to fulfill, its mandates.

David L. Markell is the Steven M. Goldstein Professor of Law at the Florida State University College of Law. He served as the first Director of the CEC Secretariat's Submissions on Enforcement Matters Unit. John H. Knox is Associate Professor of Law, Dickinson School of Law, Pennsylvania State University. From 1988 to 1994, he served as an attorney-adviser at the U.S. State Department, where he participated in the negotiations that led to the creation of the CEC.