Should those concerned with sovereignty be worried about a powerful, sovereignty-impinging "North American Union," as some groups apparently are, emerging from the Security and Prosperity Partnership (SPP), which provides a framework for cooperation between Canada, Mexico and the U.S.? Over at Opinio Juris, Julian Ku is not too concerned. After seeing the Regulatory Cooperation Framework that resulted from the latest SPP meeting, it does seem like we are a long way from any kind of supra-national government. The objectives set out are pretty limited, with goals like:
- To strengthen regulatory cooperation, including at the outset of the regulatory process.
- To streamline regulations and regulatory processes.
- To encourage compatibility of regulations, promote the use or adoption of relevant international standards, as well as domestic voluntary consensus standards, in regulations, and eliminate redundant testing and certification requirements, consistent with our WTO obligations.
The details make it clear it's really about cooperation, with no hint of giving up national power. Even for the most ardent defenders of sovereignty, it seems hard to get worked up about this kind of thing.
