1. Each Party may adopt or maintain any occupational standard, and in doing so, may establish the level of protection that it considers to be appropriate in the circumstances. Parties agree, to the extent possible and where practical, to take steps to reconcile differences in occupational standards.
2. Further to paragraph 1, each Party shall, to the extent possible and where practical, adopt occupational standards based on common interprovincial standards, including occupational standards developed for the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program, or international standards. The Parties acknowledge their continued commitment to the Interprovincial Standards Red Seal Program, including the use of National Occupational Analyses, as a well-established means of establishing common interprovincial standards for trades.
3. If occupational standards have not been established in the territory of a Party in respect of a particular occupation but exist in the territory of any other Party, and the Party without the standards wishes to develop such standards, it shall do so in a manner conducive to labour mobility. A Party intending to develop such standards shall notify the other Parties of its intent and afford them an opportunity to comment on the development of those standards.
4. If occupational standards do not exist in the territories of any of the Parties in respect of an occupation and a Party considers it necessary to establish occupational standards for that occupation, the Parties agree that the process of development of new occupational standards shall occur in a manner conducive to labour mobility. A Party intending to develop new standards shall notify the other Parties of its intent and afford them an opportunity to comment on the development of those standards.
5. If a Party considers it necessary to make changes to any standards in respect of an occupation, the Parties agree that the process for making such changes shall occur in a manner conducive to labour mobility. A Party intending to make such changes shall notify the other Parties and afford them an opportunity to comment on the modification of those standards.