CEPA priorities and CITES COP20 consultation

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice bundles several Environment and Health updates published on July 19, 2025. It announces a public consultation for Canada’s participation at the CITES COP20 meeting and publishes CEPA-related items: the implementation framework for the right to a healthy environment, the federal Plan of Priorities (which lists substances prioritized for assessment), and a strategy to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing.

What it does#

• CITES consultation:

  • Opens public input on documents for the 20th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP20) to CITES scheduled November 24 to December 5, 2025.
  • Notes 51 proposals to be considered at COP20, including Canada’s proposal on the Peregrine Falcon and an EU proposal to add trade controls for eels (including American eel).
  • Invites submissions and will hold two virtual public meetings in fall 2025; consultation closes October 10, 2025.

• Publication of the implementation framework for the right to a healthy environment:

  • The federal framework explaining how the right to a healthy environment will be considered under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (CEPA) has been published on the CEPA registry and related government pages.

• Publication of the Plan of Priorities under CEPA:

  • Publishes a multi-year list of substances and substance groups prioritized for assessment and related activities (research, monitoring, risk management).
  • Examples of priorities named include styrene, trichloroethylene (TCE), tetrachloroethylene (PERC), nanoscale silver, and Bisphenol A structural analogs and functional alternatives (BPA SAFA).
  • Describes new or expanded activities the government may use, including giving priority to prohibitions for the highest-risk substances, possible permitting regimes, stronger disclosure of substances in products, targeted pollution-area work, and expanded monitoring and research.

• Publication of the animal-testing strategy under CEPA:

  • Publishes a strategy with five elements to guide efforts to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing. Key elements are method identification, research and data generation, international harmonization, stakeholder communication, and implementation into CEPA programs.

Who's affected#

• Industries that import, manufacture, use or sell chemicals and products (including cosmetics, industrial chemicals, cleaners, and wastewater/waste operators).
• Researchers, testing labs, and companies that develop alternative testing methods.
• Environmental and conservation groups, Indigenous communities, and local communities near pollution sources who may be consulted or affected by substance risks or targeted monitoring.
• Hawks, raptor and bird trade stakeholders, fishers, and eel-related industries because of the CITES proposals.
• Consumers concerned about chemical safety and product ingredient transparency.
• Exporters and trade partners (because of international listings and alignment).

If it’s unclear who will be affected by a specific priority or measure, the notice says further details and timelines will be posted online and updated through consultations.

Why it matters#

• These publications set the government’s near-term focus on which chemicals will get attention for testing, monitoring, and possible controls. That can lead to new warnings, restrictions, permits, or bans that change what manufacturers can sell or what businesses can use.
• The CITES consultation helps shape Canada’s positions on international trade limits for species — decisions at COP20 could change import/export rules for birds and eels, affecting fishers, pet traders and wildlife conservation efforts.
• The animal-testing strategy signals a longer-term shift toward non-animal methods in regulatory science, which matters to researchers, companies that do testing, and animal welfare advocates.
• The Plan and framework increase transparency about priorities and may mean more public engagement, more monitoring data, and stricter action on substances judged to pose high risks.