Welcome to the Government of Canada Regulation Web Site

Welcome to the Government of Canada Regulation Web Site

The Government of Canada is committed to creating a performance-based regulatory system that will protect and advance the public interest in the areas of health, safety and security, the quality of the environment, and the social and economic well-being of Canadians.

The objectives of a performance-based regulatory system are:

• Protection of Canadians and their environment.
• Regulation of the economy in the most efficient, timely and cost-effective manner.
• Clear service standards that hold the Government to account for performance.
• Monitoring and reporting on performance to provide pressure for continuing improvement.
• Ongoing assessment of and adjustment to regulatory approaches to allow for greater cooperation between regulators and orders of government.

What is regulation?

Regulation is one of the many instruments government uses to achieve policy objectives and improve the quality of life of Canadians.

Regulation, in its broadest sense, is a principle, rule or condition that governs the behaviour of citizens and organizations. Governments use regulation in combination with other instruments to achieve public policy objectives. Regulations are a form of law - they have force of law and usually set out rules that apply generally, rather than to specific persons or situations.

In Canada, regulating takes place within the context of our parliamentary democracy and the rule of law. Regulations are made by persons or bodies to whom Parliament has delegated authority in an act, such as the Governor in Council, a Minister or an agency.