Federal Regulation of Pesticide Products

Pesticides in Canada are registered under the federal Pest Control Products Act (PCPA) and its regulations. Only the federal government has the authority to register or ban a pesticide for use in Canada. The Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA), a branch of Health Canada, was created in 1995. It has the primary responsibility for regulating pesticides. Other Health Canada branches and other federal departments and agencies, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Natural Resources Canada also play important roles in managing pesticides.

In recent years there has been some criticism that the federal registration system for pesticides is inadequate, and that many registered pesticides are unsafe. In the fall of 2003 the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development to the House of Commons released a report on the registration system. In the report the Commissioner concluded that:

"Despite substantial improvements in some areas over the last eight years, the federal government is not adequately ensuring that many pesticides used in Canada meet current standards for protecting health and the quality of the environment. The range of weaknesses we identified raises serious questions about the overall management of the health and environmental risks associated with pesticides."

For more information on the federal regulation of pesticides in Canada check out these websites:

History of Pesticide Regulation in Canada (Sierra Club)

Legislation: Pest Control Product Acts (Health Canada)