Public consultation on CITES COP20 and chemicals plan

Summary#

This Canada Gazette notice publishes several Environment Department announcements dated July 19, 2025. It invites public input for Canada’s positions at the upcoming CITES COP20, and it publishes new Canada-wide chemicals planning documents under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 — including a Plan of Priorities for chemical assessments and a strategy to reduce vertebrate animal testing.

What it does#

• For the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species:
  • Announces public consultation materials and invites comments ahead of COP20 (November 24 to December 5, 2025) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
  • Notes that 51 proposals will be considered at COP20 and highlights examples: a Canadian proposal on the Peregrine Falcon and an EU proposal on adding trade controls for all eel species (including the American eel).
  • Sets a written-comment deadline of October 10, 2025 for submissions to the Canadian CITES Scientific Authority, and says virtual consultation meetings will be held in English and French.
• For Canada’s chemicals and environmental health work under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999:
  • Publishes the implementation framework for the right to a healthy environment (the government’s plan for how that right will be considered in administering the Act).
  • Publishes the government’s Plan of Priorities, which:
    • Lists specific substances and groups prioritized for assessment (examples include dichloromethane, trichloroethylene, nanoscale metals, and groups such as fluoropolymers and organic flame retardants).
    • Describes planned activities: risk management, monitoring and surveillance, information-gathering from industry, the Watch List (substances of potential future concern), and international engagement.
  • Publishes a strategy to replace, reduce or refine vertebrate animal testing under CEPA. The strategy sets out five elements: prioritizing alternative methods, advancing research and data, harmonizing approaches, consulting stakeholders, and implementing changes in regulatory programs.

Who's affected#

• People and groups likely to notice:
  • Wildlife exporters, importers, zoos, breeders and hobbyists involved with species regulated by CITES.
  • Conservation groups and Indigenous partners who advise or comment on species listings.
  • Chemical manufacturers, importers, product formulators, wastewater and industrial facilities that report emissions (e.g., to the National Pollutant Release Inventory).
  • Businesses that use or sell consumer products containing the listed substances or substance groups.
  • Researchers, testing labs, and animal-welfare groups interested in alternatives to vertebrate testing.
  • The general public, especially communities concerned about chemical exposure, environmental justice, or local pollution hotspots.
• If it’s unclear who exactly will be affected by a specific future action (for example, which substances will end up regulated or restricted), the notice says those details will come later through consultations and risk-management steps.

Why it matters#

• The CITES consultation could change how Canada votes at COP20, which in turn can affect international trade rules for species (e.g., potential new controls for eels or changes for the Peregrine Falcon).
• The Plan of Priorities signals which chemicals the government will study next. Those assessments can lead to new warnings, limits, regulations, or even bans — with real effects for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers.
• Publishing the implementation framework and the Watch List increases transparency about how the right to a healthy environment will be considered in federal chemical decisions.
• The animal-testing strategy could accelerate the use of non-animal test methods in regulatory science, affecting how safety is demonstrated for chemicals and products.
• Many specifics (which substances will be regulated, what exact controls or costs might follow) will be decided later through consultations and formal risk-management steps; this notice mainly sets the priorities and invites input.