RCEN - past calls for comment

New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR)

Background

When the chemicals and polymers portion of the New Substances Notification Regulations (NSNR) came into force in 1994, Environment Canada and Health Canada committed to conduct a formal review of the regulations following the first three years of their implementation. A multistakeholder consultative process was initiated in 1999 to benefit from government, industry and public experience with the NSNR and New Substances Program.

The outcome of these consultations was 76 consensus recommendations. The proposed NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) are, in addition to changes in program administration and ongoing international collaboration efforts, Environment Canada's and Health Canada's implementation of these recommendations.

As with the current NSNR, the proposed NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers) and NSNR (Organisms) ensure that no new substance is introduced into the Canadian marketplace before an assessment of its potential effects on the environment and human health has been completed. Any substance not on the Domestic Substances List is considered to be a new substance to Canada and is subject to notification requirements under the NSNR.

Relevant Documents

ENGO Report
Final Report recommending a consultation plan for reviewing the New Substances Notification Regulations pertaining to living organisms.
Finding Common Ground: An International Strategy for Canada's New Substances Program (Chemicals and Polymers)
Environment Canada and Health Canada responses to comments received regarding the Canada Gazette, Part I publication of the proposed NSNR (Chemicals and Polymers), the proposed NSNR (Organisms), the proposed Regulations Amending the New Substances Fees Regulations and the proposed Regulations Repealing the NSNR.

Relevant Links

Info sheets on the NSNR and its LO provisions .

More information: Environment Canada’s NSNR webpage

Call for Comments - Survey on the Review of Living Organisms Provisions of the New Substances Notification Regulations

Environment Canada (EC) and Health Canada's (HC) New Substances Program has initiated the review of the Living Organisms (LO) provisions of the NSNR. In order to prepare for this process, the program will be holding Information Sessions on the Regulations. To help plan these sessions, EC and HC are requesting that ENGOs complete the online survey.

To view the complete Call for Comments, please visit the RCEN Public Consultations webpage.

Review process for the NSNR pertaining to Living Organisms

The Consultation Plan will be posted on the New Substances Program website,by the end of June, 2005.
EC are creating an extensive stakeholder database. This will be the primary tool used to keep identified stakeholders informed on and involved in the Review.
EC will distribute a questionnaire to a list of stakeholders in June, 2005. The objective of this questionnaire is to gauge the level of interest stakeholders have in the multistakeholder information sessions and the workshop.
An invitation to the multistakeholder information sessions will be sent in July to those who will have responded to the questionnaire. A reminder notice will be sent out in September.
A draft Backgrounder Document on the New Substances Program and an invitation to the multistakeholder information Sessions will be posted on the New Substances website in mid-July.
Up to five regional multistakeholder information sessions will take place in the fall of 2005.
Dialogue at the workshop will be centred on the discussion document which will be posted on the New Substances website in the fall of 2005. The two-day workshop will be convened in late fall or early winter.

For more information on the process, please view the EC Letter from to Stakeholders, visit EC’s website or contact Manon Bombardier (Head, Biotechnology Section, Environment Canada) at 819-934-1002 or Della Johnston (Head, Biotechnology Section, Health Canada) at 613-948-5799

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