Cross-border experts talk regulatory alignment at CABC

As the Canadian and U.S. governments work to streamline bilateral trade and commerce, they should focus on aligning regulatory approaches in emerging industries rather than unravelling existing regulations, experts speaking at the Canadian American Business Council (CABC) fall policy conference said Monday.

The panel, held in Ottawa, discussed the status of the Regulatory Cooperation Council, which is part of the Beyond the Border initiative announced by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama in 2011. The event featured government and industry representatives from both sides of the border...

As part of the effort to harmonize regulatory approaches between Canada and the U.S., panelists agreed that it will be difficult for both governments to change existing domestic regulations...

Chairman of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Inez Tenenbaum warned against trying to change regulations that have been firmly decided upon in either country, such as the U.S. lead limit in paint...

While few regulatory changes have yet to be felt by industry, there is one sector that has managed to align its regulations as part of the Beyond the Border initiative, according to the panel – veterinary drugs.

Looking ahead, the Privy Council’s Robert Carberry, who works on the Regulatory Cooperation Council, said both governments will look to harmonize regulations that are coming up for renewal or industries where there are no regulations, like nanotechnology and electronic vehicles. He said industry can expect to see some those changes “as early as next year.”...

This has been excertped from the 4 November 2013 article by iPolitics, and is available in its entirety at: http://www.ipolitics.ca/2013/11/04/cross-border-experts-talk-regulatory-alignment-at-cabc/ (subscription may be required.)