30 



Secretary Espy for being a part of that. It's nice we don't have to 

 go to two agencies; when we speak to you or when we speak to Sec- 

 retary Espy, we know that you are coordinating. This is very help- 

 ful and a little bit unusual. 



So I commend you for doing the innovative and trying to do a 

 good job. I really am very pleased that you and Secretary Espy will 

 have that working relationship. 



Ambassador Kantor. I have learned that it is very smart to fol- 

 low closely your former colleagues and do what they say, so I will 

 continue that policy. 



The Chairman. We will go with the members that are here now. 



We have a vote — I think it is the approval of the Journal. At my 

 stage of tenure here, I think I can miss a vote now and then, 

 [Laughter.] 



Mr. Roberts. 



Mr. Roberts. Mr. Chairman, I am not going to miss a vote, but 

 I will try to make it very quick here, and maybe on the second 

 round we can come back. 



Mr. Ambassador, you can have the full benefit of the Roberts 

 trade speech and we can get to the details. 



Mr. Ambassador, Monday afternoon the USTR and EPA staff 

 came up and briefed our staff on the proposed three-nation envi- 

 ronmental commission and NAFTA in general. Staff was informed 

 that the U.S. Government did not favor the creation of the commis- 

 sion because it would have control over the U.S. Government's 

 standards in regard to the environment. 



We have an article in the Post that now seems to indicate the 

 administration is now supporting a three-nation commission. That's 

 my first question. If that is the case, I must tell you I am con- 

 cerned about this approach because of the early issue raised in re- 

 gard to the United States dictating environmental standards to 

 other governments, and then on the reverse side of it — which is the 

 other side of the sword — aren't we in effect then turning over our 

 industrial environmental standards to a three-nation commission? 

 Would you care to respond, sir? 



Ambassador Kantor. Yes. I'd be pleased. 



First of all, either someone misspoke or it was misheard, and let 

 me not — I think we can clarify this. 



Administrator Browner and I are very much on the same wave- 

 length, as the President made it clear on October 4, 1992, in North 

 Carolina, that we would have a three-nation environmental com- 

 mission. That commission will not be charged with supernational 

 powers or to invade the sovereignty of any nation, including ours. 

 Frankly, Mr. Roberts, we would not want that to happen. I don't 

 think anyone on this committee would want that, and certainly not 

 this administration. 



It will, though, have the power and opportunity to investigate 

 and follow up on petitions, to do its own reviews, to issue reports, 

 to look at the enforcement of national laws in any one of the three 

 countries. 



One thing that I might point out is that, for instance, in Mexico 

 the laws on the books regarding the environment are very good. 

 They track our laws nearly on all fours, in most cases. The ques- 

 tion is enforcement, whether through the court system or in other 



