. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99/648
22 December 1999
(99-5532)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   CANADA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Department of Health
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   National Enquiry Point
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):   Consumer chemical
products
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Proposed Amendment
to the Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations (pages 3658-3725; English and
French)
6. Description of content:   The purpose of this regulatory initiative is to strengthen the
protection of the health and safety of Canadians when they are exposed to consumer
chemical products during normal or foreseeable use.  This is accomplished by replacing the
current Consumer Chemicals and Containers Regulations (CCCR), in which many products
are not subject to the regulations and which have been in force since 1970, with a new
version that replaces the current list-based system with a more flexible and efficient criteria-
based system.  Hereafter, the new version will be referred to as the Consumer Chemicals
and Containers Regulations, 2000 (CCCR 2000).
A wide variety of chemical products are ma rketed to consumers, such as household
cleaners, automotive additive products, etc.  Most of these products can be used safely if the
user has sufficient knowledge of the hazards inherent in their use and storage and theprecautions that will minimize the associated risks.  Both the current CCCR and the new
CCCR 2000 are intended to ensure that consumers have ready access to that required
knowledge.  This is accomplished by prohibiting those products that are too dangerous to be
used safely and by requiring bilingual precautionary labeling on containers of domestic
chemical products that can be used safely. The precautionary labeling warns about thedangers involved with the use, handling and storage of the products, explains what steps
should be taken in case of an accident and recommends first aid treatments.  Child-resistant
packaging is also required for some products.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
protection of human health and safetyG/TBT/Notif.99/648
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:   Canada Gazette, Part I, 11 December 1999
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: }Not stated
10. Final date for comments:   9 February 2000
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body:           