1. Preamble

In its capacity as a manager of public funds from the Minister as well as private funds from industry, the Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants ("the Board") is not only accountable to industry but also to the general public.

To this end, the Board is introducing these regulations on the dissemination of information, in which it defines how it handles and disseminates information concerning the organization and its activities.

By developing and implementing these regulations, the Board is aiming to strike a balance between its desire for transparency and its obligation to protect the interests of certification bodies and businesses that market products with reserved designations, while complying with legislation, contractual commitments, and the rights of third parties.

The Board adheres to certain principles to achieve this balance, which determines the terms of its regulations. Specifically, it endeavours to:

• Support the achievement of its mission in accordance with the Act Respecting Reserved Designations and Value-added Claims(the "Act respecting designations") and act in the best interests of its clients;
• Comply with the legislation that applies to the Board;
• Honour its confidentiality commitments;
• Respond to requests for access to documents that concern it, in accordance with the Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information (“access legislation”);
• As necessary, disseminate information that concerns the Board, in the spirit of transparency, on any matter of public interest.

In order to provide a suitable framework for disseminating information, these regulations outline the Board’s obligations and practices regarding the dissemination of information, the forms of dissemination, and the process for controlling the information to be disseminated.