Regulation

Role of the Ministry

The ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et des Parcs (MDDEP) is committed to the sustainable development of agriculture by maintaining environmental quality in agricultural areas and ensuring the protection of public health.

Regulatory approaches for maintaining environmental quality

The principal regulation for soil and water protection in agricultural environments is the Agricultural Operations Regulation (REA). Farm operators are also subject to the Groundwater Catchment Regulation. Other regulations deal with the use of fertilizing residuals and pesticides in agriculture.

For more information about the Agricultural Operations Regulation (REA):

• Text of the regulation (legal version)
• Latest amendments (2012)  New 
• Previous amendments (2010)
• Scientific basis for the Regulation (French, PDF format, 1,2 Mo)
• Frequently asked questions (French)

History of the REA

The REA that came into force on June 14, 2002 represented a modernization of the 1997 Regulation respecting the reduction of pollution from agricultural sources (RRPOA).

The Regulation promotes a new approach to resolving the problem of diffuse pollution caused by agricultural activity, particularly by achieving a proper balance of phosphorous in the soil. This new management approach takes account of the nutrient requirements that must be met to ensure plant growth and is based on actual calculations of the livestock waste produced on farms.

In addition, this Regulation lays down standards for raising facilities; the storage, elimination, and reclamation of livestock waste; livestock access to watercourses or bodies of water and their riparian buffers; expansion of land under cultivation in contaminated watersheds; administrative requirements in regard to authorizations; and project notices required by the MDDEP.

A number of amendments have been made to the Regulation since 2002, including:

• December 2002: Clarification of Sections 22 and 48 to facilitate their application.
• November 2003: Amendments to Sections 45, 46 and 47 on maintaining of limitations on the development of swine production.
• December 2004: Amendments to Sections 45 to 47.1 on maintaining limitations on the development of swine production and the addition of Sections 50.1 to 50.4 that deal with the capacity of aquatic environments to support agricultural activities.
• October 2005: Revision of some agro-environmental standards in Sections 8, 9, 17, 18, 22, 29, 31, 32, 48, 50, administrative relief with respect to Sections 46 and 47 and an amendment aimed at clarifying and updating the lists of municipalities in Sections 39, 44, 51 and in Schedules II-V.
• September 2007: Clarification of provisions in Section 29 concerning the spreading of fertilizing materials of specific origin on pasture land or parcels of land where crops for human consumption are grown.
• July 2010: Amendments to a number of sections (3, 9, 16, 20, 21, 24, 26-29, 32-36, 39-44, 48-50, 55) and appendices (II to VI). For more information
• April 2012: Mandatory use of electronic form to fill out the Phosphorus Report, new conditions for degraded watersheds, and technical adjustments to appendices VI and VII. For more information

News Releases

• Adoption of a regulatory amendment – April 2012 (French)
• Adoption of a regulatory amendment - July 2010 (French)
• Adoption of a regulatory amendment - October 2005 (French)
• Adoption of the Regulation - June 2002 (French)