OTTAWA, October 11, 2005, – The Honourable Stéphane Dion, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency, has welcomed changes to regulations to add European honeybees to the list of animal species exempted from requiring an environmental assessment prior to their importation. The proposed amendment affects Section 78 of the schedule to the Inclusion List Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Animal health import requirements, however, will continue to apply.
"Exempting honeybees will eliminate an unnecessary regulatory burden on honeybee importers," Minister Dion said. "Few, if any, environmental effects are expected to result from the importation of certified European honeybees. All of the provinces and territories in Canada have been exposed to this species of honeybees since the 16th century and Canadian honeybee populations have become a mixture of European races."
The amendments were developed in consultation with the Canadian Association of Professional Apiarists, provincial apiarists and Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff responsible for international importations. The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency also presented the proposed amendments to the Regulatory Advisory Committee (RAC) for review and comment. The RAC is a multi-stakeholder body appointed to advise the Minister of the Environment on proposed regulations under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.
The amendments were published in the Canada Gazette, Part II, on September 21, 2005. They come into effect immediately. For additional information on the changes to the regulations, please contact:
David Barnes
Senior Policy Analyst
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
160 Elgin Street, 22nd Floor
Ottawa ON K1A 0H3
Tel.: (613) 957-0233
E-mail: david.barnes@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
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The Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency administers the federal environmental assessment process, which identifies the environmental effects of proposed projects and measures to address those effects, in support of sustainable development.
For more information, media may call:
Gordon Harris
Senior Communications Advisor
Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
Tel: (613) 957-0825
E-mail: gordon.harris@ceaa-acee.gc.ca
