Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord

In 1979, oil was first discovered off the coast of Newfoundland and Labrador.{{Cite news |date=2019-10-20 |title=The 1979 oil discovery that could change St. John's |url=https://www.cbc.ca/archives/the-1979-oil-discovery-that-could-change-st-john-s-1.5309638 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191021132123/https://www.cbc.ca/archives/the-1979-oil-discovery-that-could-change-st-john-s-1.5309638 |archive-date=2019-10-21 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC Archives}}

The Pierre Trudeau government proposed that "Newfoundland should enjoy the major share of the revenue that offshore resources are expected to generate" in 1983.{{Cite news |date=2005-02-01 |title=Why Williams walked, why Martin balked: the Atlantic Accord dispute in perspective |url=https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/canada-in-the-world/why-williams-walked-why-martin-balked-the-atlantic-accord-dispute-in-perspective/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112231401/https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/canada-in-the-world/why-williams-walked-why-martin-balked-the-atlantic-accord-dispute-in-perspective/ |archive-date=2024-11-12 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=Policy Options |publisher=Institute for Research on Public Policy}}

{{Infobox legislation

| short_title = Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act

| legislature = Parliament of Canada

| long_title = An Act to implement an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on offshore petroleum resource management and revenue sharing and to make related and consequential amendments

| citation = SC 1987, c 3

| date_assented = 1987-03-25

| status = in force amended

}}

{{Infobox legislation

| short_title = Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Newfoundland and Labrador Act

| legislature = Newfoundland and Labrador House of Assembly

| long_title = An Act to implement an agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador on offshore petroleum

resource management and revenue sharing

| citation = RSNL 1990, c C-2

| date_assented =

| status = in force amended

}}

The agreement established the Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Petroleum Board, originally known as the Canada-Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum (C-NLOPB, formerly known as C-NOPB).{{Cite news |date=2019-04-04 |title=What the heck is the Atlantic Accord? We explain it in 6 gifs |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/what-the-heck-is-the-atlantic-accord-1.5079867 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190507080512/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/what-the-heck-is-the-atlantic-accord-1.5079867 |archive-date=2019-05-07 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC News}} The board became responsible for:{{Cite journal |last=Fraser |first=Gail S. |last2=Ellis |first2=Joanne |date=2009-03-01 |title=The Canada-Newfoundland Atlantic Accord Implementation Act: Transparency of the environmental management of the offshore oil and gas industry |url=https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0308597X08001267 |journal=Marine Policy |volume=33 |issue=2 |pages=312–316 |doi=10.1016/j.marpol.2008.07.012 |issn=0308-597X}}

• developing resources (such as placing calls for bids)
• issuing exploration
• licensing significant discovery and production
• assesing royalties, interests and penalties
• administrating and enforcing agreements
• regulating operations
• sharing revenue

A 2003 report by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that the province was receiving a relatively small fraction of the revenue generated under the agreement.

In 2005, the provincial government and the federal government renegotiated the accord. At one point the provincial government ordered Canadian flags to be stripped from their poles in provincial buildings. The negotiations led to a transfer of {{CAD}}2,000,000 from the federal governemnt to the provincial government.

In 2007, the federal government reneged on the agreement, under Stephen Harper through changes made to the equalization payments.{{Cite news |last=O'Neill-Yates |first=Chris |date=2019-05-06 |title=What the new Atlantic Accord deal says — and does not say |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/atlantic-accord-rate-mitigation-1.5122179 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230927094309/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/atlantic-accord-rate-mitigation-1.5122179 |archive-date=2023-09-27 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC News}}{{Cite news |date=2007-04-16 |title=Equalization difference could have paid off debt: Marshall |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/equalization-difference-could-have-paid-off-debt-marshall-1.636793 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501123652/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/equalization-difference-could-have-paid-off-debt-marshall-1.636793 |archive-date=2025-05-01 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC News}}

In 2018, the provincial government wrote to the federal government to request a review of the agreement, which was required to happen by 2019.{{Cite news |date=2019-04-01 |title=N.L. to receive $2.5B from Ottawa over 38 years in renewed Atlantic Accord |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/atlantic-accord-deal-1.5079501 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190404024453/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/atlantic-accord-deal-1.5079501 |archive-date=2019-04-04 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC News}} In 2019, the federal government and the provincial government announced changes to the agreement.{{Cite news |last=O'Neill-Yates |first=Chris |date=2019-05-06 |title=What the new Atlantic Accord deal says — and does not say |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/atlantic-accord-rate-mitigation-1.5122179 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501123652/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/equalization-difference-could-have-paid-off-debt-marshall-1.636793 |archive-date=2025-05-01 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=CBC News}}

In 2023, the federal government and the provincial government announced changes to the agreement, which would mean that offshore renewable energy would fall under the agreement.{{Cite news |last=Mercer |first=Juanita |date=2023-05-30 |title=‘A big day’: Atlantic Accord amendments would enable offshore wind farms in Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia |url=https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/a-big-day-atlantic-accord-amendments-would-enable-offshore-wind-farms-in-newfoundland-and-labrador-and-nova-scotia-100858582 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501124948/https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/a-big-day-atlantic-accord-amendments-would-enable-offshore-wind-farms-in-newfoundland-and-labrador-and-nova-scotia-100858582 |archive-date=2025-05-01 |access-date=2025-05-01 |work=PNI Atlantic News}} The amendments to the federal legislation were made under Bill C-49 which received royal assent in October 2024.{{Cite news |last=Foxwell |first=David |date=2024-10-04 |title=Canada passes legislation to seize offshore wind’s "enormous opportunity" |url=https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/news-content-hub/canada-passes-legislation-to-seize-offshore-winds-enormous-economic-opportunity-82535 |work=2025-05-01}}

The name was also used to describe a 2005 cash transfer{{Cite web |date=2018-02-13 |title=Cash-strapped Newfoundland wants talks on 2005 Atlantic Accord |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/cash-strapped-newfoundland-wants-talks-on-2005-atlantic-accord-1.3801960 |access-date=2024-06-23 |website=CTVNews |language=en}} agreement between the Government of Canada and the governments of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland and Labrador under a similar legislative framework.{{cite news |date=10 October 2007 |title=Ottawa reaches deal with N.S. over offshore revenue |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ottawa-reaches-deal-with-n-s-over-offshore-revenue-1.644346 |access-date=8 February 2024 |work=CBC News}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://www.gov.nl.ca/dgsnl/files/printer-publications-aa-mou.pdf Text of the 1985 accord]

Category:Energy treaties

Category:Treaties of Canada

Category:Petroleum industry in Atlantic Canada

Category:Petroleum industry in Canada

Category:Treaties concluded in 2005

Category:Politics of Newfoundland and Labrador

Category:Canadian federal legislation

Category:Newfoundland and Labrador provincial legislation

Category:Climate change in Canada

Category:Environmental legislation

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