Inside Regulatory Affairs - July 2024

Final advice from the External Advisory Committee on Regulatory Competitiveness

On June 5, 2024, the External Advisory Committee on Regulatory Competitiveness (EACRC) released its final advice letter. Composed of seven members from business, civil society, and academia, the EACRC was tasked with providing advice to the President of the Treasury Board on improving Canada’s regulatory system.

In their letter, the EACRC states that “regulatory excellence serves the public interest by promoting strong protections while minimizing unnecessary burdens that can limit economic opportunities”.  They recommend that better regulatory measurement should be a government-wide priority and that regulatory data should be accessible by Canadians. They also recommend that the Government maintain strong avenues for external advice on the regulatory system.

We encourage you to read the EACRC’s advice letters, which provide important recommendations on improving the regulatory system.

Revitalizing the Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation

On June 11, 2024, Anita Anand, President of the Treasury Board of Canada, and Shalanda Young, Director of the United States Office of Management and Budget, released a joint statement Revitalizing the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Partnership.

Between March and June 2024, Minister Anand hosted a series of six roundtables across Canada, along with an additional two roundtables in the United States (one each in Chicago, IL and Washington, D.C.), to hear from businesses and industry leaders on how regulatory cooperation between Canada and the United States can help address regulatory barriers to trade and support economic growth.

Over the coming months, regulators and officials on both sides of the border will work together to identify opportunities to advance the work of the RCC.

Past Stakeholder Engagement Event and Future Report

Annual Meeting of the Canada – European Union Regulatory Cooperation Forum

The sixth annual meeting of the Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF) under the Canada-European Union (EU) Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) took place in Ottawa on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Canadian and European regulators provided updates on their joint streams of work under the RCF, including consumer product safety, animal welfare, pediatric medicines, and other topics of common interest.

Following the meeting, on Thursday, April 25, 2024, over 60 stakeholders from Canada and the EU attended the debrief meeting to learn about current activities under the RCF.

Stay tuned to our website for the joint report summarizing the discussions.

Recent Publications

Blue Economy Regulatory Roadmap and What We Heard Report

On June 3, 2024, as part of the third round of Targeted Regulatory Reviews, Fisheries and Oceans Canada published the Blue Economy Regulatory Roadmap. This document outlines initiatives that the Government of Canada will undertake over the next several years to enhance the ability of communities and businesses that rely on the ocean economy to grow responsibly, resulting in benefits for all Canadians. The Blue Economy Regulatory Review examined regulations and regulatory practices that are bottlenecks to economic growth and innovation, while continuing to prioritize health, safety, security and environmental responsibilities in the blue economy. The Review’s engagement process, which informed the development of this Roadmap, is summarized in the What We Heard Report, published on May 2, 2024.

Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill Consultation What We Heard Report

On April 22, 2024, TBS published the What We Heard Report on the Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill Consultation. This report summarizes stakeholder comments received through the consultation conducted in spring 2023. The consultation asked stakeholders to propose legislative amendments that could enhance how the regulatory system keeps pace with innovation and evolving regulatory environments. The consultation also sought feedback on the possibility of granting all federal regulatory organizations the authority to set up regulatory sandboxes and to use incorporation by reference for internal documents.

On June 19, 2024, Bill S-6: An Act Respecting Regulatory Modernization, completed second reading in the House of Commons and has been referred for study to the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU).

We appreciate the participation of stakeholders and the invaluable input received on the Blue Economy Regulatory Review and the Annual Regulatory Modernization Bill consultations. Future updates on some of these initiatives will be communicated through this newsletter. In the meantime, if you have questions about these initiatives, please send us an email at regulation-reglementation@tbs-sct.gc.ca.