A Conversation with OIRA Administrator Shelanski on International Regulatory Cooperation with Canada
From: The White House
by Emily Cain
Summary: Leading up to the U.S.- Canada RCC Meetings on May 4-5, OIRA Administrator Howard Shelanski provides his take on the future of international regulatory cooperation.
[White House] Editor’s Note: Leading up to the U.S.-Canada Regulatory Cooperation Council (RCC) Meetings on May 4-5, I sat down with Howard Shelanski, Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) at the Office of Management and Budget, to discuss the importance of international regulatory cooperation and provide his take on the future of the U.S. – Canada RCC. A summary of the conversation is below.
Q. Why does the Administration think international regulatory cooperation is important? What is the significance of the RCC?
International regulatory cooperation can help the United States and partner countries protect our Nations’ health, safety, labor, security and environment, while also reducing or preventing unnecessary differences in regulatory requirements. Understanding the importance of international regulatory cooperation, the President issued Executive Order 13609, “Promoting International Regulatory Cooperation,” which created “regulatory cooperation councils” (or RCC). The establishment of the RCC structure was an important step in strengthening bilateral regulatory cooperation between the United States and Canada. The RCC facilitates closer cooperation between our two countries to develop smarter and more effective approaches to regulation that make the United States and Canadian economies stronger and more competitive while maintaining the fundamental responsibilities to protect the safety and welfare of our citizens.
Q. Can you provide an update on the steps that the United States and Canada have taken since you last held a joint RCC Stakeholder meeting?
Since the last meeting in October 2014, the United States’ regulatory cooperation partnerships with Canada have made great progress towards important goals – from aligning U.S. and Canadian industrial and commercial energy efficiency standards, potentially avoiding millions of dollars in unnecessary costs, to promoting data and information sharing.
The Regulatory Partnership Statements (RPSs) published jointly by Federal agencies within the United States and Canada provide a measure of this progress. RPSs provide the framework for how U.S. and Canadian agencies will manage cooperative activities, establishing high-level governance mechanisms, opportunities for stakeholder engagement, and annual review of Work Plans.
Examples of the progress achieved through these Regulatory Partnership Statements and Work Plans include:
