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What was the North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation?
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North American Free Trade Agreement
(From left) Mexican Pres. Carlos Salinas de Gortari, U.S. Pres. George H.W. Bush, and Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney meeting to initial the North American Free Trade Agreement in San Antonio, Texas, October 7, 1992.
The North American Agreement on Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) was a side agreement to the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) adopted to address concerns regarding the potential environmental impacts of the trade pact.1
Environmentalists were particularly worried about the risks of rapid industrialization in Mexico, given that the country lacked experience in implementing and enforcing environmental regulations. To address these potential problems, the NAAEC was established in 1994, which created the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).1