Competition Bureau Invites Feedback on its Updated Draft Bulletin on Corporate Compliance Programs

Ottawa, April 9, 2008 – The Competition Bureau is seeking comments from the business and legal community on its updated draft Bulletin on Corporate Compliance Programs.

First published in 1997, the Bulletin provides businesses with the knowledge and tools necessary to design corporate compliance programs that ensure compliance with the Competition Act. The Bulletin was updated to reflect amendments to the Competition Act as well as new Bureau publications, and to promote compliance with the other statutes under the Bureau’s jurisdiction - the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act. Given the changes incorporated in the updated draft Bulletin, the Bureau wishes to give interested parties another chance to comment.

A public consultation on the 1997 version of the Bulletin was held in Summer 2006 to identify areas where the document could be improved and to ensure that the Bureau's compliance tools were practical and relevant for the business community in today's economy.

A working group on corporate compliance programs composed of Bureau officers, representatives of the Department of Justice and of the Canadian Bar Association also contributed to the updated Bulletin as part of a protocol endorsed by the Task Force on Collaboration Between the Competition Bureau and the Canadian Bar Association's National Competition Law Section.

In light of the comments and suggestions received during the consultation and from the working group, the Bulletin was expanded to provide more guidelines and tools to help Canadian businesses design their own corporate compliance programs. For example, a framework that outlines the essential components of a credible and effective corporate compliance program as well as a list of dos and don’ts were added as appendices.

The Bureau invites interested parties to provide comments on the updated draft Bulletin by e-mail, fax, or regular mail before May 26, 2008. All submissions will be made available to the public and will be posted on the Bureau's Web site, except where confidentiality is specifically requested.

The Competition Bureau is an independent law enforcement agency. We contribute to the prosperity of Canadians by protecting and promoting competitive markets and enabling informed consumer choice.

Please send your comments to:
Annie Galipeau
Senior Competition Law Officer
Fax: (819) 953-1877
E-mail: galipeau.annie@cb-bc.gc.ca

Mailing address:
Competition Bureau
Place du Portage 1
50 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Québec K1A 0C9

For media enquiries, please contact:
Pamela Wong
Communications Advisor
External Relations and Public Affairs Branch
819-953-7734

For general enquiries, please contact:
Information Centre
Competition Bureau
819-997-4282
Toll free: 1-800-348-5358
TDD (hearing impaired): 1-800-642-3844
compbureau@cb-bc.gc.ca