Plans for the Regulatory Framework
Comments and Suggestions
The CER welcomes feedback on the content of the Regulatory Framework at any time.
The Regulatory Framework Plan (Plan) is a tool produced by the CER that supports planning and communication. The Plan describes which regulations, guidance products and other regulatory documents we intend to amend or develop over a three year period, and sets out expected timelines for each.
The Plan is updated every year through a review process that is informed by:
- Strategic Priorities that focus how we do our work and prioritize change;
- evaluation of performance data from across the CER’s regulatory programs;
- input from stakeholders and Indigenous Peoples provided during the CER’s engagement activities and participation in regulatory proceedings; and
- learnings from other jurisdictions and regulators within Canada and abroad.
Only those initiatives that are established with formal project plans and clear deliverables for the Regulatory Framework are included in the Plan, year to year. We anticipate additional Plan projects will be added in future years, as we advance our work to:
- prepare for the future and inform the energy transition;
- foster the trust and confidence of Canadians;
- advance Reconciliation and implement the United Nations (UN) Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and
- enhance Canada’s global competitiveness through regulatory excellence.
View the Regulatory Framework Plan: 2024 to 2027.
View Regulatory Framework Improvements made since the first publication of the Plan, in 2021.
The Plan compliments other external-facing documents used to communicate improvements to the Regulations that make-up the CER’s regulatory stock, in accordance with the Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) Policy on Regulatory Development:
- the Regulatory Stock Review Plan which identifies existing regulations that will undergo a routine evaluation and review within a set timeframe, and
- the Forward Regulatory Plan which confirms CER intentions to amend existing or develop new regulations in the next two years.
Regulations
Regulations are laws made in support of acts. The Governor in Council, Cabinet Ministers and administrative tribunals like the CER are given authority to make regulations through legislation passed by Parliament.
The Plan includes a number of projects that involve review, improvement and development of CER regulations with an aim to:
- address legal issues;
- enhance regulatory outcomes; and
- make our existing regulatory stock current.
See a list of our acts and regulations.
There are several regulations made by the Governor in Council under the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act) or the Canada Oil and Gas Operations Act (COGOA) that are being led by Natural Resources Canada. The CER actively participates in the development of these regulations; however, these are not reflected in the Plan.
The regulatory initiatives led by Natural Resources Canada are detailed on that department’s Forward Regulatory Plan and include the following regulations:
- Designated Officer Regulations (new)
- Offshore Renewable Energy Regulations (new)
- Pipeline Claims Tribunal Regulations (new)
- Frontier and Offshore Regulatory Renewal Initiative (FORRI) Framework Regulations (major review)
- Indigenous Ministerial Arrangement Regulations (new)
Guidance
The CER develops guidance products to help regulated companies, Indigenous Peoples, interested parties, and the general public understand our requirements and to promote compliance.
The Plan includes projects that involve review, improvement and development of CER guidance with an aim to:
- explain our expectations;
- give a window into how we apply the law when we carry out our functions; and
- instruct companies on what to include and how to submit materials to us so we can make timely decisions.
See a list of our guidance.
Other Regulatory Framework Improvements
The Plan contains initiatives that do not pertain to regulatory tools such as regulations or guidance. Some Regulatory Framework projects concern improvements to internal systems and processes or measures for regulatory outcomes, while others involve CER participation in technical standards development for the industry.
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