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International Activities

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

The Plant Biosafety Office represents Government of Canada interests in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Biotechnology Regulatory Harmonization program, along with representation from Environment Canada and Health Canada. Meetings of the "Working Group for Harmonization of Regulatory Oversight in Biotechnology" are held every eight to nine months. The Working Group's main focus is on international harmonization of regulatory oversight in modern biotechnology which will ensure that environmental health and safety aspects are properly evaluated, while avoiding non-tariff trade barriers to products of the technology. Canada continues to take an active role in a number of projects within this OECD working group, for example: molecular characterization; environmental considerations; unique identifiers; biology consensus documents on subjects such as Brassica napus, trees, etc. This working group's output compliments the work of the Task Force for the Safety of Novel Foods and Feeds that develops standards for the risk/safety assessment of foods and feeds derived from transgenic organisms.

International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) and North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO)

The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is an international agreement the aim of which is to prevent and/or control the introduction and spread of plant pests and invasive plants. The North American Plant Protection Organization (NAPPO) is a regional plant protection organization of the IPPC. One of its mandates is to develop regional phytosanitary measures between Canada, the United States and Mexico. NAPPO's Regional Standards for Phytosanitary Measures (RSPM) No. 14 deals with importation of transgenic plants into NAPPO member countries. The Plant Biosafety Office participates in the NAPPO Biotechnology Panel which works to develop standards on the importation of transgenic plants.

North American Biotechnology Initiative

The North American Biotechnology Initiative (NABI) provides a trilateral forum for high-level policy dialogue pertaining to issues related to agricultural biotechnology. The Plant Biosafety Office participates in the Regulatory Working Group within NABI. The mandate of this Working Group is to provide a forum for exchanging information among members, and promotion of the development of innovative and cooperative approaches to regulation of products of agricultural biotechnology. Biotechnology regulators from NABI member countries Canada, Mexico, and the US meet every 9-12 months.

Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety

The Government of Canada signed the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety (BSP) in April 2001 to signal Canada's support for its objective of conservation and protecting sustainable use of biological diversity. Canada actively participates in Cartegena Protocol discussions and has attended all Meetings of Parties to the Protocol, as well as a number of Technical Expert Group meetings. The Plant Biosafety Office supports the Government of Canada leads, Environment Canada and Foreign Affairs and International Trade, in their involvement in the negotiations of the Cartegena Protocol. Canada's principle objective remains to develop a practical and effective agreement that will achieve its environmental objectives.

Canada - China Bilateral Relations

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) entered into discussions with China regarding regulatory co-operation in the area of agricultural biotechnology in January 2005. Under this initiative, the CFIA's Plant Biosafety Office, with government officials in the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture, have developed a work program that includes bilateral discussions and information exchange. In addition, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on regulatory cooperation in the area of agricultural biotechnology was signed in July 2006 between the CFIA and the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture. This work was initiated to allow bilateral discussions on regulatory and technical issues related to the safe trade of agricultural products of biotechnology.

Canada - US Bilateral Relations

Canada and the United states continue to work closely together on international harmonization activities. The Plant Biosafety Office plays a role in representing the Government of Canada's interests in Canada-US bilateral relations in bilateral agreements on agricultural biotechnology:


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