EFC Business Sections at Work: Recent Regulatory Submissions

, ,

EFC’s Business Sections bring together member companies in similar product sectors to collaborate on issues affecting Canada’s electrical and automation industry. Regulatory submissions are one part of this work, giving members an opportunity to contribute to a collective industry voice when Federal and Provincial governments develop requirements affecting their businesses.

Over the last eight months, EFC has made nine submissions to Regulations that directly impact how EFC members make and distribute their products in Canada, including energy efficiency standards, EV Charger technical specifications and plastics reporting requirements.

Common messaging across submissions

Harmonization was a common message across the submissions. EFC called for alignment with U.S. DOE requirements for lighting and motors, reducing provincial differences in building codes and encouraging use of North American EV charging standards. The forced labour submissions similarly recommended alignment with U.S. and EU approaches to avoid overlapping obligations.

The other consistent message to Regulators was that EFC supports the government’s efficiency and safety goals, but requirements must be clear and practical to reduce unnecessary burden on manufacturers and distributors. EFC advocated for clear scope, practical compliance requirements, proportionate enforcement and sufficient implementation time. Member feedback was critical for explaining where proposed requirements could create uncertainty, duplication or require information that companies cannot reasonably obtain.

Recent regulatory submissions and feedback

The overview below highlights EFC’s recommendations and the common priorities members brought forward.

Submission and Date Key messaging
Bill S-4: Amendments to the Energy Efficiency Act
February 4, 2026		 EFC proposed inclusion of:

  • Harmonized labelling and Testing
  • Proportionate enforcement recognizing due diligence
  • Protection of confidential information, and
  • Approximately 18 months to implement changes
Federal Plastics Registry: 2026 Notice
June 11, 2026		 EFC recommended strengthening Phase 1 and deferring Phases 2 and 3 until workable reporting frameworks were established, including:

  • Clarifying product scope,
  • Reducing duplication and
  • Limiting reporting to information companies could reasonably collect and verify.
Bill C-267: Product Durability and Repairability
July 31, 2026		 EFC requested limiting the bill’s scope to household electronic products to avoid unintended requirements for commercial, industrial and automation equipment.
Measurement Canada: Level 1 and 2 AC EVSE Provisional Specifications
August 3, 2026		 EFC requested:

  • Clearer verification, metering and cable replacement requirements for Level 1 and 2 AC EV chargers.
  • Aligning terminology with SAE J1772 and
  • Allowing charging sessions to resume after power interruptions where transaction data could be stored and shared with customers
Ontario Building Code: Reducing Regulatory Burden
August 14, 2026		 EFC requested:

  • Clearer treatment of CSA-certified outdoor switchgear to avoid classification as buildings and duplicative requirements on behalf of the Distribution Equipment Section
  • Modernizing the lighting energy efficiency NECB and ASHRAE references and removing Ontario-specific requirements to support national harmonization.
Bill C-35: Regulatory Approach to Forced Labour
August 21, 2026		 EFC supported addressing forced labour through practical, risk-based requirements. We requested:

  • Transparent high-risk goods designations,
  • Alignment with U.S. and EU approaches where practical,
  • Streamlined reporting and expedited review of critical infrastructure components, with clear procedures for challenging detentions.
Bill C-35-related consultation: Due Diligence and Civil Liability Measures
August 21, 2026		 EFC supported proportionate, risk-based measures to address forced labour. We requested:

  • Alignment with U.S. and EU requirements, recognition of existing reporting,
  • Liability linked to clear due diligence failures. and
  • A safe harbour for companies meeting prescribed requirements and established best practices.
Transport Canada: EV Charging Connector and Inlet Compatibility Guidance
August 26, 2026		 EFC requested:

  • Clearer guidance on safety-certified adapters and connector compatibility, and
  • Revisions to language that created uncertainty about existing inlet standards and future technological advances.
Amendment 19: Lighting and Electric Motor Efficiency Requirements
August 29, 2026		 EFC supported Amendment 19 and alignment with U.S. DOE requirements.

  • For motors, we recommended adopting U.S. efficiency and testing standards while excluding IEC 61800-9-2 pending an established motor-drive test method.
  • For lamps, we requested recognition of the bilingual FTC Lighting Facts Label to avoid duplicate labelling and clear requirements for colour-tunable and CCT-selectable products.

 

Why participate in a Business Section?

Business sections are the avenue for EFC to present a unified industry voice on technical and regulatory matters.  Having a seat at the business section table ensures that your company voice is heard.  When combined with statistics reporting, participation in business sections can open market opportunities and mitigate costs for EFC members.

If your company does not currently participate in a Business Section, we encourage you to get involved and help strengthen the collective voice of Canada’s electrical and automation industry. Contact EFC’s Business Section team (Ioan Buzdugan, Alexandra Mucibabic or Lavindi Richards-Harvey) to learn more about joining a section.

Welcome to our newest Business Section members

We are pleased to welcome Dialight to the Lighting Business Section and Transmag Énergie to the Joint Transformer Business Section. We look forward to their contributions to these discussions and our shared industry priorities.