Rules of Practice and Procedure

Background

The Commission of the Canada Energy Regulator (CER), supported by CER staff, is undertaking a comprehensive review of the National Energy Board Rules of Practice and Procedure, 1995 (the Rules). The Rules govern the procedures to be followed during written or oral hearings of the Commission of the CER (Commission), previously the National Energy Board. Among other things, the Rules set out the mechanisms for complaints, the conduct of public hearings, and determine the manner in which applications are to be assessed. The Rules are made by the Commission under section 35 of the Canadian Energy Regulator Act (CER Act).

A comprehensive update to the Rules is needed to align with the CER Act, which came into force in 2019. The update will reflect the CER’s new governance structure, and formalize the practices, processes, and terminology which have evolved since the Rules were first in effect. The objective for the Rules Review is to deliver regulations that:

• align with the CER Act, including the objectives outlined in the Act's preamble, such as the commitment to Reconciliation;
• enhance competitiveness through predictable and timely processes; and
• modernize practices and procedures.

Phase I Early Engagement

In the first phase of engagement, the Commission held information sessions and sought written feedback on a Discussion Paper with questions for consideration relating to potential amendment areas and improvements to the Rules.

This engagement period was launched on September 9, 2024. Initially scheduled to close on December 9, 2024, the Commission extended the deadline to January 31, 2025, to allow additional time for interested parties to provide their input. As part of Phase I, funding was made available to eligible Indigenous Peoples to support their participation in the Rules Review.

Feedback Received

A total of 56 written submissions were received from Indigenous Nations, communities, societies and organizations, industry, legal representatives and other interested parties.

Summary Report

A Summary Report (Report) of what we heard in Phase I as well as the submissions have been posted to the CER website and the CER Dialogue webpage. This Report summarizes the diversity of perspectives shared and does not intend to address every comment received; however, we have tried to acknowledge the varying perspectives that were shared with us. We extend our sincere thanks to all participants who provided feedback during Phase I of the Rules of Practice and Procedure Review (the Rules). Your thoughtful input and the time you invested are deeply appreciated and play a vital role in shaping the future of this initiative. Some of the feedback we received is broader than the Rules’ current focus, and does provide value to other ongoing initiatives. We have shared this feedback with others both within and outside of the CER, where it can be used to inform existing and future work.

We encourage you to read the Report and if you have any feedback please email us by 19 November 2025. We look forward to hearing from you.

Contact us

Please email rppr@cer-rec.gc.ca for more information about this regulatory review.