At annual meetings, the leaders of Canada, the United States and Mexico discuss issues to be accomplished in the following year under the SPP and agree on priority areas requiring concerted efforts. These priorities can change, as they respond to the needs and challenges of each country and those identified in the annual SPP progress reports.
Consultations occur at many levels. In Canada, federal departments and agencies, which are responsible for delivering SPP initiatives, rely on the efforts of 19 Working Groups. These groups collaborate and consult regularly with provincial and territorial governments as well as a wide range of stakeholders, including industry, associations and special interest groups. Furthermore, pilot projects have been used to examine and refine initiatives based on feedback received from these stakeholders.
On February 23, 2007, the North American Competitiveness Council presented 51 recommendations to the three governments in a document titled Enhancing Competitiveness in Canada, Mexico and the United States. The recommendations, grouped around the themes of border crossing facilitation, standards and regulatory cooperation, and energy integration, aim to strengthen North American competitiveness in global markets while increasing the safety of its citizens.
