Canada’s pesticide oversight system is facing a major change, and the clock is ticking.
Bill C-31, the government’s second budget implementation bill, would fundamentally change how registered pesticides are reviewed in Canada.
Under the current Pest Control Products Act (PCPA), Health Canada is required to initiate a re-evaluation of registered pesticides on a 15-year cycle. Bill C-31 would replace that mandatory re-evaluation with an assessment based on “available information” to determine whether the health or environmental risks of a pesticide have increased significantly. A full re-evaluation would then be required only if Health Canada determines there are reasonable grounds to believe the risks have increased significantly.
That is a significant shift.
Regular re-evaluations provide an important opportunity to reassess pesticides as scientific knowledge, exposure patterns, environmental conditions and pesticide uses change. Health Canada itself describes re-evaluations as part of its post-market oversight system for determining whether registered pesticides continue to meet current health, environmental and value standards.
The proposed change comes alongside another major amendment.
Bill C-30, passed earlier this year, created new powers allowing the Governor in Council to override certain Health Canada decisions involving pesticide registrations when the government considers this necessary to protect national or regional economic security or national food security. The new provisions allow Cabinet to amend, reinstate or register certain pesticides in circumstances where Health Canada has determined that environmental risks are not acceptable.
Together, these changes raise important questions about the future of Canada’s pesticide regulatory system — particularly the balance between independent scientific oversight, economic considerations, human health and environmental protection.
And there is still an opportunity for Canadians to make their voices heard.
An official House of Commons petition, e-7742, calls on Parliament to
- repeal the pesticide-related amendments made through Bill C-30,
- remove the proposed pesticide provisions in Bill C-31, and
- ensure that pesticide regulation is based on independent science, the precautionary principle and protection of human health and the environment.
The petition is currently open for signatures.
Add Your Voice
If you believe Canadians deserve strong, transparent and science-based pesticide oversight, sign House of Commons
Petition e-7742 here:
Sign Petition e-7742
The decisions being made today will shape how Canada regulates pesticides for years to come.
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