G/TBT/N/CAN/443
24 April 2015 
(15-2200)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English/French
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: CANADA 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible: Department of the Environment and Department of Health 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
Canada's SPS & TBT Notification Authority and Enquiry Point 
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada 
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division (TIB) 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G2 Canada 
Telephone: (343)203-4273 
Fax: (613)943-0346 E-mail: enquirypoint@international.gc.ca  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10 .1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable): Toxic substances 
(ICS: 13.020) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Regulations 
Amending the Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012 (25 pages, available in English and French) 
6. Description of content: The proposed Regulations Amending the Prohibition of Certain 
Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012  (the proposed amendments) would address different 
issues with respect to Canada's management of five toxic substances to reduce harmful 
releases to the environment. These five substances are:  
1) Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) 
2) Perfluorooctanoic acid, its salts, and its precursors (PFOA) 
3) Long-chain perfluorocarboxylic acids, their salts, and their precursors (LC-PFCAs) 
4) Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 
5) Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) 
The objectives of the proposed amendments are to: • protect the Canadian environment and prov ide regulatory certainty by preventing 
the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale , or import of HBCD, PFOA, LC-PFCAs, 
PBDEs, and PFOS; 
• streamline regulations under CEPA 1999 pertaining to the control of toxic substances 
through the update of existing regulatory  controls for PBDEs and PFOS by adding 
these two substances to the Prohibit ion Regulations 2012 and repealing the 
regulations under which they are currently managed. G/TBT/N/CAN/443 
 
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  The final screening assessments conducted in 2012 by Environment Canada concluded that 
HBCD, PFOA, and LC-PFCAs are toxic to the environment under the Canadian 
Environmental Protection Act, 1999  (CEPA 1999). Currently, there are no risk management 
instruments in place respecting preventive or control actions for HBCD in Canada. In the 
case of PFOA and LC-PFCAs, early risk management actions have been taken. 
In addition, the proposed amendments prov ide an opportunity to amend and update 
existing regulatory controls under CEPA 1999 pertaining to PBDEs and PFOS. 
The proposed amendments also include administrative changes to the Prohibition of 
Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2012  (the Prohibition Regulations 2012), 
G/TBT/N/CAN/340. 
The Prohibition Regulations 2012, which were developed under CEPA 1999, came into 
force on 14 March 2013. They prohibit the manufacture, use, sale, offer for sale, or import of specified toxic substances and products that contain these substances, with some 
exemptions. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment  
8. Relevant documents: Canada Gazette,  Part I, 4 April 2015, pa ges 748-772 (available in 
English and French) 
9. Proposed date of adoption: Not stated  
Proposed date of entry into force: These Regulations come into force on the day that is 
three months after the day on which they are registered. Transitional Provision Section 11 of the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and its Salts and Certain Other Compounds Regulations, as it read immediately before the day on which these Regulations come into force, continues to 
apply until 31 March 2019 to any person to whom section 9 of those Regulations applies.   
10. Final date for comments: 18 June 2015 
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
The electronic version of the proposed amendments can be downloaded at: 
http://www.gazette.gc.c a/rp-pr/p1/2015/2015-04 -04/pdf/g1-14914.pdf  
http://www.gazette.gc.c a/rp-pr/p1/2015/2015-04 -04/html/reg2-eng.php   
http://www.gazette.gc.c a/rp-pr/p1/2015/2015-04 -04/html/reg2-fra.php