Multistakeholder Consultations

• Consultations on Living Organisms (Biotechnology)
• Consulations on a research strategy for microorganisms
• Consultations on Food & Drug Act
• Consultations on Chemicals and Polymers

Review of the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms)

Eight years of experience with the New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR) (Organisms) and a number of significant changes in biotechnology in recent years have prompted Environment Canada (EC) and Health Canada (HC) to re-examine their approach to regulating these new substances. In February 2004, EC and HC launched the review of the NSNR (Organisms) starting with the Research & Development exemption for living organisms other than micro-organisms (subsection 2(4) and section 4). A Consultation Plan was completed in December 2004 which recommended conducting regional information sessions on the New Substances Notification regulations for Organisms, a multistakeholder consultation workshop on subsection 2.4 and section 4 of the NSNR (Organisms), and a multistakeholder consensus building process for the remainder of the NSNR (Organisms) in the coming two years.

Information sessions were held in November/December 2005 in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, and by live webcast (Gatineau) to provide for participation for stakeholders who could not travel to the four major centres. The information sessions were attended by 123 people in total and were very effective in delivering program and regulatory information to stakeholders. A CD of the live webcast is currently available in English by contacting the New Substances Program:

Notification and Client Services Section
New Substances Division
Science and Technology Branch
Environment Canada
Place Vincent Massey, 14th Floor
Gatineau QC K1A 0H3
Telephone:
(800) 567-1999 (Toll Free in Canada)
(819) 953-7156 (Outside of Canada)
Facsimile:
(819) 953-7155
E-mail: nsn-infoline@ec.gc.ca

The multistakeholder consultation workshop on sections 2.4 and 4 of the NSNR (Organisms) was held in the National Capital Region in June 2006 to seek out the views and opinions of organizations/individuals on the issues surrounding subsection 2(4) and section 4 of the NSNR (Organisms) and possible options for resolving them.

• Review of the New Substances Notification Regulations (Organisms)
  
  
  • Backgrounder
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  • Discussion Document for the Workshop on the Provisions Dealing with Organisms Other than Micro-Organisms
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• Final Report recommending a consultation plan for reviewing the New Substances Notification Regulations pertaining to living organisms
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Consulations on a research strategy for microorganisms

To better define a research strategy to suppor the risk assessment and risk management of micro-organisms under the New Substances Notification Regulations, a 2-day workshop was held on May 18-19, 2004 in Toronto.

• Executive Summary of the Canadian Regulatory System for Biotechnology (CRSB) Workshop: Towards an Integrative Research Strategy for Organisms that are Micro-organisms under the New Substances Program
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Consultations on Food & Drug Act

Environment Canada is providing support to Health Canada's inititative to develop new Environmental Assessment Regulations for new substances contained in products regulated under the Food & Drugs Act. For more info visit
Health Canada’s Environmental Impact Initiative

Consultations on NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) and the New Substances Program

When the New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR) relating to Chemicals and Polymers were promulgated in 1994, a commitment was made by Environment Canada and Health Canada to review them after the first three years of implementation.

To help fulfill this commitment, a multistakeholder consultative process was established in 1999. This page includes public consultations documents that describe the process and outcomes of these consultation:

• Final Report on Progress: Implementing the Consultation Recommendations For Period Ending June 2005
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• Report on Progress: Implementing the Consultation Recommendations For Period Ending October 2003
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• Consultations on the CEPA New Substances Notification Regulations and New Substances Program
  Environment Canada/Health Canada Response to the Consultation Recommendations
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• Consultations on the CEPA New Substances Notification Regulations and New Substances Program
  Final Report of the Multistakeholder Consultations
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• Multistakeholder Consultations on Amending the New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR) and New Substances Program for Chemicals and Polymers
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• Discussion Paper - Cost Recovery for the CEPA New Substances Notification Program Chemicals and Polymers