Approved December 9, 2003

MINUTES
INTERNATIONAL JOINT COMMISSION
EXECUTIVE MEETING
November 15, 2003

The International Joint Commission met on November 15, 2003 in executive session at the Sutton Place Hotel in Toronto, Ontario with Chair Herb Gray in the chair.

APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

1. Commissioners approved the agenda for the meeting, as noted in the items below, and added the following items under Other Business:

1. Letter to governments on the GLWQA Review
2. Proposed Visibility Workshop
3. Advice from GLWQA Boards
4. 2004 Schedule of Meetings
5. IJC Coordinated Schedule

2003-2005 PRIORITIES

2. Commissioners discussed the proposed priorities for Great Lakes Water Quality activities during the 2003-2005 cycle and agreed:

1. when seeking stakeholder group/public comment on the GLWQA Review priority, a set of strategic questions would be distributed in advance.
2. consultations with stakeholder groups and basin leaders should be undertaken early in 2004 and in parallel with receiving advice from the GLWQA Boards.
3. a consultation plan, including the option of having Commissioners participate in pairs at meetings, should be drafted to discuss at the December executive meeting.
4. that in light of US budgetary uncertainties, as well as constraints stemming from the high Canada-US exchange rate differential that emerged over the past year, to write governments alerting them to this issue and to specifically ask the US government to include the US Section in the State Department exchange rate fund, and further to meet with senior officials to highlight and help resolve the problem.
5. to convey to the GLWQA Boards that, with the exception of the advice regarding the review of the GLWQA and the AIS priority which are approved, the budgets assigned to the priorities are conditional on the US budget being finalized, and that should modifications be necessary the Commission will communicate any changes at the soonest possible date.
6. to review the base budget and Secretariat services for the GLWQA Boards/Council and the GLRO component of the IAQAB.

12^th BIENNIAL REPORT

3. Commissioners discussed the format of the 12^th Biennial report and agreed:

1. it should focus on a few major topics and recommendations, similar to the approach used for the 11^th Biennial report, as well as observations regarding further matters of importance.
2. the major topics should be summarized under three main headings of Physical (urbanization and climate change), Chemical (mercury) and Biological (AIS and pathogens) Integrity.
3. staff should begin to draft possible further matters of importance topics including Areas of Concern, Lake Erie, transboundary air, government reporting under the GLWQA, energy, pesticides, spills, factory farms and emerging issues.
4. the report should comment on the non-substantive government responses to the 11^th Biennial report.
5. the 12^th Biennial Report and the Commission's Report issuing advice on the Parties' GLWQA Review should be separate.
6. the 12^th Biennial does not need to address drilling issues, as the moratorium has been extended to September 30, 2005.

WATER USES REPORT

4. Commissioners reviewed the November 7, 2003 draft and the release plan and agreed:

1. the draft report was well written, covered all the issues and had sound recommendations.
2. staff should revise the title, clarify certain issues such as conservation and net resource improvement, draft an Executive Summary and develop some figures or charts to illustrate issues such as amounts of consumptive uses.
3. staff should provide a revised draft, with a final format look, for review at the December executive meeting, incorporating edits submitted by Commissioners.
4. that before finalizing the report, the Council of Great Lakes Governors and the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec should be consulted informally about the draft wording of the proposed recommendation on net resource improvement for out of basin removals.
5. with the proposed release plan, including signing the report in December and releasing it in January 2004, and asked staff to advise on how many copies should be printed.

GREAT LAKES REGIONAL OFFICE (GLRO) 2003-2004 BUDGET

5. Commissioners agreed that this item had been discussed under item 2 and no further discussion was required.

OTHER BUSINESS

Letter to Governments on the GLWQA Review

6. Commissioners approved a draft letter to governments from the Chairs outlining the role of the Commission in the governments' review of the GLWQA.

Proposed Visibility Workshop

7. Commissioners approved the concept of convening a workshop on "Prevention of Significant Deterioration of Visibility and Continuous Improvement of Air Quality" for transboundary issues, with the assistance of the IAQAB and utilizing funding offered by the Environment Canada member of the IAQAB, to be held early in 2004.

Advice from GLWQA Boards

8. Commissioners discussed different ways of organizing their GLWQA advisory boards and asked staff to look further into the matter.

2004 Schedule of Meetings

9. Commissioners agreed that the Secretaries should examine the dates for the October 2004 semiannual meeting in Ottawa with a view to changing them to avoid a conflict with SOLEC 2004 currently scheduled at the same time.

IJC Coordinated Schedule

10. Commissioners directed Secretaries to provide them with a printed copy of the schedule weekly.