What is SEEM?
The Secretariat for Submissions on Environmental Enforcement Matters (SEEM)
The Secretariat for Submissions on Environmental Enforcement Matters (SEEM) is an agency created within the framework of the Trade Promotion Agreement, with two main objectives, the attention of the Environmental Submissions and elaborate Factual Records.
As it is stablished in the Treaty, anyone from one of the Parties may present an environmental submission where it deems that a Party is not complying or applying their environmental legislation in an effective manner. If this communication complies with the formal requirements, the Secretariat should request a response of the designated Party.
According to the generated response, the Secretariat will make a report with recommendations, which may include the preparation of a factual record. This document will seek to gather more detailed information related with the submitted communication. With the vote of any member of the Environmental Affairs Council, the process of preparing the factual record could start, The Secretariat will be responsible for this activity.