Canada, one of the OECD’s strongest economies, has a mature,
effective and innovative system of regulatory governance closely linked to the
government’s public policy goals. Canadians attach growing priority to
health, safety and the environment, and seek a balance among economic,
competitiveness and social goals. This is a demanding agenda: in international
trade – a major driver of the economy – Canada needs to maintain a
careful balance between bilateral and multilateral liberalisation efforts.
Further work is needed to improve the effectiveness of the single internal
market. Competition policy needs to make a much stronger contribution to
regulatory reform and market openness. Despite a positive policy shift, some
important sectors are protected through import and foreign ownership
restrictions. The government’s recently launched Innovation Strategy is
expected to make a major contribution to address these challenges.
Canada is one of many OECD countries to request a broad review by the
OECD of its regulatory practices and reforms. This review presents an overall
picture, set within a macro-economic context, of regulatory achievements and
challenges including the quality of the public sector, competition policy and
market openness. It also assesses progress in the telecommunications sector.
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