Canada’s regulatory cooperation activities
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Canadian Free Trade Agreement: Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table
The Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) entered into force on , replacing the Agreement on Internal Trade. The CFTA establishes the Regulatory Reconciliation and Cooperation Table (RCT) which is a federal-provincial-territorial body that oversees the regulatory reconciliation process to align regulatory frameworks between all provinces/territories, and the federal government in order to reduce barriers to trade, investment, and labour mobility within Canada. It also promotes cooperation in the development of future regulations to avoid regulatory divergences, facilitate innovation and growth in emerging industries, and streamline approval processes to minimize the administrative burden for Canadian businesses.
In 2018, the RCT released its first work plan (PDF, 158 KB) highlighting 23 items for reconciliation. Since then, the RCT has endorsed five reconciliation agreements. The 2019-2020 RCT work plan (PDF, 336 KB) , carriers over items from the previous plan and adds two new initiatives for regulatory reconciliation and three items for regulatory cooperation.
Learn more about regulatory reconciliation (PDF, 47 KB) and the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (external links).
Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement - Regulatory Cooperation Forum
The Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) (PDF, 1.45 MB) entered into force provisionally on . It is the first Canadian bilateral trade agreement with a stand-alone chapter on regulatory cooperation. The chapter establishes the Regulatory Cooperation Forum (RCF) to facilitate and promote regulatory cooperation between Canada and the European Union (EU). The RCF helps lower trade barriers, makes it easier for Canadians to do business in the EU, and improves choice for Canadian consumers. Learn more about the work of the Canada-EU Regulatory Cooperation Forum.
Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council
The Canada-United States (U.S.) Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) provides regulators from Canada and the U.S. the opportunity to work together to reduce unnecessary burden on stakeholders, while continuing to protect the health and safety of citizens and the environment.
The RCC provides a forum for stakeholders, including industry, consumers, and non-government organizations, to discuss regulatory barriers and identify opportunities for regulatory cooperation.
Learn more about the work of the Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council.
Global discussions on international regulatory cooperation
Canada aims to advance regulatory cooperation globally by participating in fora such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Trade Organisation.
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