Common Regs for U.S., Canada, and Mexico?

Three consumer products industry associations from Canada and the U.S. have announced that they support the agreement reached between Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. concerning North American regulatory risk-based assessment and management of existing chemical substances. The agreement was formally announced last month in Québec as part of a meeting of the leaders of the three North American countries to discuss the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP). The Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association, the U.S. Consumer Specialty Products Association , and the U.S. Soap and Detergent Association (SDA) have indicated that the agreement is the result of ongoing work in the area of the Regulatory Cooperation Framework under the SPP that will ensure coordination of regulatory processes, promote best practices, offer a forum to share information, and keep the health and protection of consumers as a priority. "This initiative makes a lot of sense, both for consumers and for industry," said Ernie Rosenberg, SDA president and CEO. "We need a credible chemical management system, harmonized with Canada and Mexico, to give the public confidence that our products are safe to use."