Environment Minister response re OECD - July 3, 2003

Mr. Fraser Reilly-King

Coordinator

NGO Working Group on the EDC

Halifax Initiative

153 Chapel Street, Suite 104

Ottawa ON K1N 1H5

Dear Mr. Reilly-King:

Thank you for your letter of April 22, concerning export credit agency reform and the G8 Environment Ministers' Meeting held April 25-27 in Paris, France.

Although the environmental assessment of projects supported by official export credits has been an important topic of discussion at previous G8 Environment Ministers' meetings, the agenda for the Paris meeting focused on three principal themes: Africa; sustainable production and consumption; and international environmental governance. Issues related to export credits were not specifically addressed. Nonetheless, Canada remains interested and involved in multilateral efforts to establish and refine common approaches to the environmental assessment of export credit decisions through such fora as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

With respect to the policies of Export Development Canada, the Government of Canada recognizes the importance of considering the environmental effects of projects financed through export credits. In December 2001, the Export Development Act was amended to give statutory authority to Export Development Canada's environmental review framework.

As Export Development Canada and the administration of the Act fall within the responsibilities of the Minister of International Trade, I have sent a copy of our correspondence to my colleague, the Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew, for consideration.

I appreciate your interest in this matter.

Yours sincerely,

David Anderson, P.C., M.P.

Minister of the Environment

c.c.: The Honourable Pierre S. Pettigrew, P.C., M.P.