White House regs chief says cooperation with Canada is paying off

The White House’s regulatory chief on Monday said cooperation between the United States and Canada is yielding streamlined federal rules that cut red tape while still protecting citizens of the two nations.

The Canada-U.S. Regulatory Cooperation Council was set up two years ago to address shared issues, ranging from air quality concerns to food safety. President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper created the council as part as an initiative to take full advantage of the nations’ $700 billion commercial relationship – the largest bilateral trading partnership in the world.

One year after the council launched a 29-point action plan to cut red tape and align certain regulations, the effort remains a “crucial priority” at the White House, said Boris Bershteyn, acting administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA.)
During remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Bershteyn said the council’s success is owed, in part, to high-level commitment within the two governments.

“It was President Obama and Primer Minister Harper who have articulated the shared goal of using regulatory cooperation to help make the United States and Canada more secure and economically competitive,” he said.

Bershteyn cited programs allowing the countries to simultaneously review veterinary drugs and conduct joint inspections of foreign-flagged vessels entering the Great Lakes.

The council is also pursuing joint approvals of  certain products used in agriculture and aligned regulations on tire safety and occupant restraint systems in vehicles.