Guidance for determining whether a plant is subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations: Closed consultation

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is dedicated to protecting Canada's plant resources, which in turn enhance the health and well-being of Canada's people, our environment, and our economy.

Part V of the Seeds Regulations describes the regulatory requirements for the release of plants that may impact the Canadian environment. This includes new crop kinds, as well as plants with novel traits.

The CFIA sought feedback on proposed guidance for Part V – Release of Seed under the Seeds Regulations, with the objective of clarifying which plants are subject to Part V and which plants are exempt. This will allow stakeholders to better understand the requirements that are relevant to them in the context of new and emerging technologies such as gene editing.

The 2 documents shared for consultation remain available to view online:

• Summary of guidance for determining whether a plant is subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations
• Draft guidance for determining whether a plant is subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations

Input gathered from CFIA's consultation will help determine if the updated guidance provides stakeholders with the clarity they need to understand Part V of the Seeds Regulations, to innovate and better use new technologies, while maintaining high safety standards.

Who was the focus of this consultation

The CFIA engaged with:

• plant developers, companies, industry associations, academia, government and not-for-profit organizations in the Canadian agriculture biotechnology sector
• anyone who had an interest in this topic

Key themes covered

Ideas and input were sought on:

• how to determine which plants are exempt from Part V of the Seeds Regulations
• clarifying which plants are subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations:
  • new crop species
  • plants that have foreign DNA
  • outcomes that could negatively impact the environment

What we heard

Final report

• What we heard: Guidance for determining whether a plant is subject to Part V of the Seeds Regulations

Related information

• Gene editing techniques
• Directive 94-08 (Dir 94-08) Assessment Criteria for Determining Environmental Safety of Plants With Novel Traits

Contact us

If you have any questions about this consultation, please send an email to the Plant Biosafety Office.