Administrative Burden Baseline: Update 2020

The Administrative Burden Baseline (ABB) provides Canadians with a clear metric on the total number of requirements in federal regulations and associated forms that impose administrative burden on business. This baseline contributes to the openness and transparency of the federal regulatory system.

In 2020, the department's overall ABB count was 3,638, representing a slight increase from its baseline count of 3,634 in 2019.

The increase can be attributed to:

• An increase of four under the Patent Rules, as the Patent Rules (SOR/96-423) were repealed and replaced with the Patent Rules (SOR/2019-251) on October 30, 2019. There was a re-count in the burden imposed by the new Patent Rules, which included additional requirements for Canada to ratify the Patent Law Treaty.

Since 2014, ISED has decreased its ABB count by 202 from the initial count of 3,840.

The data for previous years is available below.

Contact information:

Innovation, Science and Economic Development
David Warsaba
Telephone: 613-614-9431
Email: david.warsaba@canada.ca

Competition Bureau
Sahra Boonstra
Telephone: 613-818-1693
Email: sahra.boonstra@canada.ca

Canadian Intellectual Property Office
Matthew Dick
Telephone: 819-953-1625
Email: matthew.dick@canada.ca

Measurement Canada
Lance Robertson
Telephone: 613-816-8937
Email: lance.robertson@canada.ca

Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy
Sheila Westerink Robin Sheila
Telephone: 613-868-0244
Email: sheila.westerinkrobin@canada.ca

For more information:

• Government-Wide Forward Regulatory Plans
• Cabinet Directive on Regulatory Management
• Red Tape Reduction Action Plan
• Canada-United States Regulatory Cooperation Council
• Government-wide Administrative Burden Baseline Counts

To learn about upcoming or ongoing consultations on proposed federal regulations, visit the Canada Gazette and Consulting with Canadians websites.