Cost Recovery Advisory Group Terms of Reference

April 2026

Introduction

The Cost Recovery Advisory Group (CRAG) is a forum for information exchange and discussion on the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission’s (CNSC) Cost Recovery Program. CRAG members include stakeholder representatives from industry and a CNSC representative, who serves as Chair of the forum.

Mandate

The CRAG provides an open and transparent forum for sharing information and engaging in discussions related to the CNSC’s Cost Recovery Program, including:

• regulatory activities and fees;
• potential changes to fees and/or the Cost Recovery Program;
• potential impacts to CRAG members and the stakeholders they represent resulting from proposed changes to fees and/or Cost Recovery Program;
• advice in the form of input or feedback from CRAG members on the administration of the Cost Recovery Program; and
• relevant benchmarking studies.

The CRAG’s mandate does not extend to discussing any regulatory issues outside the scope of the Cost Recovery Program. This includes, but is not limited to:

• discussing items or issues currently before the Commission (e.g., licence applications);
• negotiating issues to be part of the Commission’s regulatory agenda;
• discussing regulatory issues beyond the scope of the Cost Recovery Program;
• discussing the appropriateness, extent, or details of the CNSC’s regulatory effort with respect to an individual licensee, including matters related to that licensee’s fees or regulatory program; and
• discussing the appropriateness of any federal policy or legislation on cost recovery fees.

For matters outside of the CRAG’s mandate, the CNSC has separate regulatory activity and fee dispute resolution mechanisms, which include designated contacts and defined processes.

• For information on the dispute resolution mechanism for regulatory activity assignments: Dispute Resolution Mechanism for Regulatory Activity Assignments
• For information on the dispute resolution mechanism for fee administration: Dispute Resolution Mechanism for Fee Administration

Roles and responsibilities

The CNSC’s Executive Team is responsible for approving the CRAG Terms of Reference, including any changes.

The CRAG Chair (the Chair), supported by the CRAG Secretary (the Secretary), is responsible for:

• setting the date, time, and place of CRAG meetings and for ensuring that this information is provided to CRAG members;
• organizing CRAG meetings and ensuring that minutes of CRAG meetings are taken, distributed to CRAG members for review, and posted on the CNSC website;
• ensuring that CRAG members are given a fair opportunity to present their points of view;
• providing CRAG members with information on the CNSC’s Cost Recovery Program, including cost structure, costing, and fee setting methodology, when requested; and
• reporting the views of CRAG members to the CNSC’s Executive Team.

CRAG members are responsible for:

• presenting their views and those of their stakeholders during meetings, where relevant or appropriate;
• reporting on and/or sharing the information exchanged and discussed during CRAG meetings with the stakeholders they represent, where relevant or appropriate; and
• naming a delegate, communicated to the Secretary in advance, for any meetings they are unable to attend.

The Secretary role is fulfilled by a CNSC staff member selected by the Chair. The Secretary supports the Chair and CRAG members by:

• coordinating the planning and conduct of CRAG meetings;
• managing memberships;
• taking meeting minutes and coordinating their review and posting; and
• tabling any comments or information on behalf of an absent CRAG member, upon that member’s request, if a delegate is unable to attend a meeting in their place.

CNSC staff, including directors general and subject-matter experts, may attend CRAG meetings, at the discretion of the Chair, to present information, receive information and/or respond to questions. At the Chair’s discretion, non-CNSC observers or subject-matter experts may also be invited to attend portions of meetings to support the discussion of specific agenda items. Non-CNSC participants may be recommended to the Chair by CRAG members.

Membership

The CRAG consists of the Chair (the CNSC’s representative at the director general level or above), and industry representatives who represent CNSC licence types or categories, and/or licensee associations or councils. Many CNSC licensees hold more than one type of licence; CRAG membership is restricted to one (1) representative per organization, irrespective of the number of licences held by an organization. Licensees exempt from cost recovery fees are not represented in the CRAG.

Except for the Chair, CRAG members hold office for two-year renewable terms. CRAG member appointments and renewals are approved by the Chair. The Chair is appointed by the CNSC’s Executive Team and does not serve a fixed term; the Chair’s appointment may be confirmed or changes at the discretion of the Executive Team.

An up-to-date list of CRAG members is available on the CNSC website.

CRAG member appointment process

1. The Secretary consults relevant CNSC subject matter expert(s), and/or the previous stakeholder representative of the category if possible, to identify a potential member.
2. The Secretary contacts the recommended individual to confirm their interest in becoming a CRAG member.
3. If the individual is interested in becoming a CRAG member, the Secretary advises the Chair and seeks the Chair’s approval.
4. If the Chair approves the appointment, the Secretary extends an invitation to become a CRAG member.

CRAG member term renewal process

1. The Secretary contacts the CRAG member whose term is nearing conclusion on their interest in continuing to be a CRAG member.
2. If the CRAG member is interested in continuing as a CRAG member, the Secretary advises the Chair and seeks the Chair’s approval to renew the CRAG member’s term.
3. If the Chair approves the CRAG member’s renewal, the Secretary informs the CRAG member that their term has been renewed.

CRAG Meetings

Agenda and minutes

CRAG meetings follow a standard agenda that may be amended at the Chair’s discretion, whether of their own initiative and/or based on input sought from CRAG members and participating CNSC staff.

Draft meeting minutes are circulated to CRAG members for review as soon as possible following a meeting, with any comments or proposed edits from CRAG members dispositioned before the final meeting minutes are translated and posted to the CNSC website. Meeting minutes will be posted to the CNSC website ahead of the next CRAG meeting.

Frequency

The CRAG meets annually with additional meetings held as determined by the Chair, whether of their own initiative or based on input from CRAG members or CNSC staff.

Location

CRAG meetings are held in a hybrid format, offering CRAG members the option of participating in person at CNSC headquarters (280 Slater Street, Ottawa, Ontario) or virtually.