The RCT Work Plan is a list of items that have been identified as priority areas for barrier resolution. Any Party, through its RCT representative, has a right to add an item to the Work Plan. Any item added is either to be resolved through regulatory reconciliation or cooperation efforts. ‘Regulatory reconciliation’ occurs when Parties work to address variations in existing measures, whereas ‘regulatory cooperation’ occurs when Parties negotiate to set a framework for new regulatory measures, thereby working to avoid the creation of new barriers moving forward.
For each item on the Work Plan, a Working Group of relevant subject-matter experts, with representation from each federal, provincial, or territorial government (‘Party’) that has a corresponding regulatory measure to be addressed, is responsible for negotiating the path forward. A reconciliation item will result in reconciliation agreement which captures what the agreed-upon solution is and how and by when governments commit to implement that solution, whereas cooperation efforts have no defined solution. All negotiated outcomes are posted on the RCT website.
The current RCT Work Plan can be found here.
How will stakeholder submissions be handled?
The submissions received through this portal will be regularly monitored by the Internal Trade Secretariat. If a submission relates to one government in particular, the Secretariat will advance the submission to the RCT representative of that government. Submissions that relate to multiple governments will be reviewed by the RCT on at least a quarterly basis.
When RCT representatives receive a submission that impacts their government, they will consult within their government to evaluate the issue, its impact, etc. and then meet with the RCT as a whole to discuss. These deliberations are critical to more comprehensively understanding the breadth and impact of submissions, and consequently to potentially resolve the matter. If an RCT representative agrees that work can be effectively undertaken to address the identified barrier, that representative will add the item to the RCT Work Plan.
Can any barrier be considered for the RCT Work Plan?
The RCT is restricted (see See Chapter Eight of the CFTA – General Exceptions) in what can be added to the Work Plan by the limits of the CFTA itself. The following topics are outside the CFTA scope and cannot be considered by the RCT for inclusion on the Work Plan:
- national security
- taxation
- water
- divestitures
- social services
- tobacco
- language
- culture
- gambling and betting
- Canadian citizenship and permanent residency requirements (immigration)
- collective marketing
- passenger transportation services
Other topics that are currently being considered by existing working groups or committees operating under the CFTA (e.g., trade in alcoholic beverages) are also not addressed by the RCT.
Providing Suggestions for the RCT to Consider
The RCT appreciates the time and effort of any individual or organization that is willing to identify specific barriers relating to specific issues with regulatory measures. Hearing from all stakeholders is a top priority as it is only by understanding where barriers may exist that the RCT can continue to facilitate addressing these barriers and advancing the mandate of the CFTA.
An important note on the information you provide: Any information submitted through this portal may be provided to one or all RCT representatives or their delegates by the Internal Trade Secretariat. Those RCT representatives or delegates may, at their discretion, use any information you provide through this portal to investigate and develop regulatory items to add to the Work Plan. That process of investigation and development may involve sharing the information you have submitted through this portal with other stakeholders, including (but not limited to) government officials, industry and consumer groups, and regulatory or standard-setting organizations. Any information you provide through this portal may also be subject to public disclosure pursuant to one or more provincial, territorial, or federal freedom of information laws. Do not use this portal to submit confidential or sensitive information. By submitting information through this portal, you consent to having any information so submitted shared, disclosed, or otherwise dealt with in the manner described herein, and you acknowledge that you may not receive further notice if your information is disclosed, shared, or otherwise dealt with.
For stakeholders choosing to submit feedback, please provide thorough responses to the following questions. The more detailed the information provided here is, the better the RCT representatives can understand and consult on the possible issue(s).
