G/TBT/2/Add.6/Rev.3  
 
17 June 2014  
(14-3503) Page: 1/3 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English/French  
 
 IMPLEMENTATION AND A DMINISTRATION OF THE  AGREEMENT ON TECHNIC AL 
BARRIERS TO TRADE  
COMMUNICATION FROM C ANADA  
Revision  
 The following updated Statement under Article 15.2 of the Agreement has been received 
from the delegation of Canada . 
 
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1.  The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development retains overall responsibility on 
behalf of the Government of Canada for the implementation of the WTO Agreement on Technical 
Barriers to Trade ( "TBT Agreement "). Representations concerning Canadian imp lementation of the 
Agreement and requests for consultation should be directed to:  
The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, Ontario  
Canada K1A 0G2  
Tel.: + (343) 203 -4254 
Fax.: + (613) 943 -0346 
Email: tib@international.gc.ca  
Website: http://www.international.gc.ca  
 
2.  Under Canada's federal constitutional system, governmental powers (l egislative, executive and 
judicial) relating to technical regulations are shared among the federal government and provincial 
governments.  
3.  Federal regulatory activity is governed by the Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management , 
which came into effect on 1 April 2012 (the "Directive "). It strengthens the previous Cabinet 
Directive on Streamlining Regulation , introduced in April 2007 to implement a streamlined 
regulatory system that delivers the greatest benefits to current and future generations of 
Canadian s. The Directive supports the government's commitment to protect and advance the 
public interest in health, safety and security, the quality of the environment, and the social and 
economic well -being of Canadians through a more effective, efficient and acc ountable regulatory 
system. It also supports the government's new commitment to reducing the regulatory burden to 
Canadian businesses, ensuring that regulators are sensitive to the needs of small businesses, and 
creating a more predictable and transparent regulatory environment to enable business 
development and economic growth. The Directive applies to all federal departments, agencies, and 
entities over which the Cabinet has either general authority or a specific authority relating to 
regulation making, o r both such authorities (refer to Section 3: Scope of Application for more 
information; http://www.tbs -sct.gc.ca/rtrap -parfa/cdrm -dcgr/cdrm -dcgr01 -eng.asp#cha3 ).   
4.  The Directive confirms a "life cycle" approach to regulation making. The life cycle approach 
recognizes that attention must be given not only to regulatory development and analysis but also 
to the implementation, evaluation, and review of regulations. As a res ult, the life cycle approach G/TBT/2/Add.6/Rev.3  
 
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  improves the effectiveness, efficiency, and accountability of the regulatory system to support the 
government's commitment to Canadians.  
5.   The Regulatory Affairs Sector of the Treasury Board Secretariat is responsible for ensur ing 
that the analysis (on regulatory proposals made or approved by the Governor in Council or 
Treasury Board) that is provided by departments, agencies, and entities to which this Directive 
applies is consistent with the commitments and directions set out in this Directive and that the 
analysis effectively supports Ministerial decision making. The Department of Justice and the Legal 
Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development are responsible for advising 
on the effect of Canada's inte rnational legal obligations, including their implementation in domestic 
law. The Trade Law Bureau, of the Department of Justice and the Department of Foreign Affairs, 
Trade and Development, is responsible for advising departments and agencies on Canada's t rade 
law obligations.  
6.  Federal departments and agencies are to comply with the Directive and its operational 
requirements and guidance, as listed on the Treasury Board Secretariat's Regulatory Affairs 
website ( http://www.tbs -sct.gc.ca/rtrap -parfa/index -eng.asp ). Among other requirements, the 
Directive establishes the responsibility of departments and agencies to seek advice and comply 
with Canada's international trade obligations. The Appendi x on International Trade Obligations 
Regarding Specific Requirements for the Design and Implementation of Technical Regulations, 
Conformity Assessment Procedures, and Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures ( http://www.tbs -
sct.gc.ca/rtrap -parfa/cdrm -dcgr/cdrm -dcgr02 -eng.asp ) draws attention to certain specific 
requirements applicable to technical regulations, conformity assessment procedures, and sanitary 
and phytosanitary measur es contained in international agreements to which Canada is a party, 
including the TBT Agreement.  
7.  The Directive also explicitly states that departments and agencies are to publish proposals in 
the Canada Gazette , Part I, to allow for a public comment perio d, and to then take the comments 
received into consideration. A minimum comment period of 75 days is required for proposals for 
new and changed technical regulations that may affect international trade. (note - 60-day comment 
period recommended by the TBT C ommittee).  
8.  The Government of Canada recognises the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as the national 
accreditation and standardization body. SCC accredits standards development organizations and a 
range of conformity assessment bodies, including testing a nd calibration laboratories, medical 
laboratories, inspection bodies, greenhouse gas validators and verifiers, personnel certifiers, as 
well as organizations that certify conformity of products, processes, systems and services. 
Additionally, SCC is the onl y monitoring authority in Canada that grants recognition to the 
Organisation of Economic Co -operation and Development (OECD) Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) 
program. SCC also oversees the efforts of Canada's national standardization network, which 
includes organizations and individuals involved in voluntary standards development, promotion 
and implementation in Canada. Departments and agencies are encouraged to use standardization 
tools and approaches offered by the national standardization network as the ba sis for regulations. 
In 1999, SCC adopted Annex 3 of the TBT Agreement. The work programmes of the seven 
standards development organisations accredited by SCC are available directly from each 
organization at : http://www.scc.ca/accreditation/standards/directory -of-accredited -standards -
development -organizations . 
9.  The Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development now functions as the Cana da's 
Enquiry Point and Notification Authority, a responsibility previously carried out by the Standards 
Council of Canada. Principal responsibilities of the Enquiry Point and Notification Authority include: 
responding to technical enquiries from other Memb ers regarding domestic regulations, standards 
and conformity assessment procedures as well as fulfilling notification obligations under the TBT 
Agreement. The Canada's Enquiry Point and Notification Authority can be reached at the following 
address:  
Canada 's Enquiry Point and Notification Authority  
Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development  
Technical Barriers and Regulations Division  
111 Sussex Drive  
Ottawa, Ontario  
Canada K1A 0G2  G/TBT/2/Add.6/Rev.3  
 
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  Tel.: (343) 203 -4273 
Fax.: (613) 569 -7808  
Email:  ENQUIRYPOINT@international.gc.ca  (English)  
POINTDINFORMATION@international.gc.ca  (French)  
Website:  http://www .international.gc.ca  
 
10.  The Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management  and its Annex are available in English and 
French at:  
 
 http://www.tbs -sct.gc.ca/rtrap -parfa/cdrm -dcgr/c drm-dcgrtb -eng.asp  
 http://www.tbs -sct.gc.ca/rtrap -parfa/cdrm -dcgr/cdrm -dcgrtb -fra.asp  
 
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/CAN/14_2580_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/CAN/14_2580_00_f.pdf  
 
 
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