In its Red Tape Reduction Action Plan, the Government committed to build on the efforts of the Paperwork Burden Reduction Initiative by requiring departments, through the Administrative Burden Baseline, to provide a count of the requirements in federal regulations that impose an administrative burden on business.
All federal regulations administered by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) that impose an administrative burden on business are identified below. In 2014, the first year of reporting on administrative burden, the total administrative burden baseline (ABB) count for these regulations was 4507. The total 2025 count is 4372, which is a net decrease of 135 since 2014.
Between July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025, two new regulations came into force that included new administrative requirements and nine regulations containing administrative requirements were repealed.
New regulations:
- Canada–Newfoundland and Labrador Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations
- Canada–Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Operations Framework Regulations
Repealed regulations:
- Newfoundland Offshore Area Oil and Gas Operations Regulations
- Newfoundland Offshore Area Petroleum Geophysical Operations Regulations
- Newfoundland Offshore Certificate of Fitness Regulations
- Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Production Regulations
- Newfoundland Offshore Petroleum Installations Regulations
- Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Installations Regulations
- Nova Scotia Offshore Area Petroleum Geophysical Operations Regulations
- Nova Scotia Offshore Certificate of Fitness Regulations
- Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Drilling and Production Regulations
In addition, adjustments were made to the previously published ABB count for the Energy Efficiency Regulations, 2016 to reflect updates in counting methodology.
As a result of these changes, the ABB count has increased from 4184 in 2024 to 4372 in 2025.
Previous years’ counts for Natural Resources Canada are available upon request.
Contact
Centre of Regulatory Expertise
Natural Resources Canada
Toll-free in Canada: 1-855-525-9293
Telephone: 343-292-6096
cre-cer@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca