Order Fixing August 4, 2026 as the Day on Which Part 4 of the Countering Foreign Interference Act, Other than Certain Provisions of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, Comes into Force: SI/2026-31

Canada Gazette, Part II, Volume 160, Number 13

Registration
SI/2026-31 July 1, 2026

COUNTERING FOREIGN INTERFERENCE ACT

Order Fixing August 4, 2026 as the Day on Which Part 4 of the Countering Foreign Interference Act, Other than Certain Provisions of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, Comes into Force

P.C. 2026-641 June 22, 2026

Her Excellency the Governor General in Council, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, under subsections 117(1) and (2) of the Countering Foreign Interference Act (“the Act”), chapter 16 of the Statutes of Canada, 2024, fixes August 4, 2026 as the day on which Part 4 of the Act — other than the following provisions of the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act, as enacted by section 113 of the Act — comes into force:

• (a) paragraphs (c) and (d) of the definition public office holder in section 2; and
• (b) paragraph 4(c).

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order.)

Proposal

This Order in Council fixes August 4, 2026, as the day on which the legislative amendments that enacted the Foreign Influence Transparency and Accountability Act (FITAA or the Act) come into force, other than paragraphs (c) and (d) of the definition of public office holder and paragraph 4(c) of the Act.

Objective

The objective of this Order is to support the Government of Canada’s commitment to increasing transparency around foreign influence activities, deterring malign foreign interference, and strengthening national security.

Background

Canada’s security and intelligence community has identified foreign interference as one of the most significant threats to national security. These concerns were reiterated in the reports of the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions.

The inquiry’s final report found that Canada’s capability to counter foreign interference lagged and highlighted the need for new approaches. In response, the Countering Foreign Interference Act, which received royal assent in June 2024, amended various pieces of legislation related to the security and disclosure of information, and enacted the FITAA. The purpose of the FITAA is to strengthen national security by ensuring that activities meant to influence political or governmental processes in Canada are done in a transparent manner.

Implications

The Act

• (a) provides for the appointment of a Foreign Influence Transparency Commissioner (the Commissioner);
• (b) requires individuals and entities to provide information to the Commissioner about arrangements with foreign principals to carry out certain activities that involve efforts to influence political or governmental processes in Canada;
• (c) requires the Commissioner to establish and maintain a publicly accessible registry that contains information about those arrangements; and
• (d) provides the Commissioner with tools to administer and enforce the Act.

The Order brings into force the provisions of the Act that apply to arrangements related to federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal political or governmental processes. In practice, this means that individuals and organizations that enter into agreements with foreign principals to undertake certain political or governmental influence activities in Canada must report those arrangements to the Commissioner and provide required information for inclusion in the public registry.

The Order does not bring into force paragraphs (c) and (d) of the definition of public office holder or the requirements that apply to political or government processes of a council, government, or other entity that is authorized to act on behalf of an Indigenous group. As a result, people who enter into arrangements involving influence activities directed at members of a band council, members of an aboriginal government or institution, and their staff or employees are not required to provide information to the Commissioner at this time.

Under the FITAA, the Commissioner may conduct an investigation for the purpose of ensuring compliance. Offences include failing to register within 14 days of entering into an arrangement with a foreign principal, failing to update required information within prescribed timelines, obstructing the Commissioner in the exercise of their duties, and knowingly providing false or misleading information.

The FITAA provides two enforcement tools to support compliance: an administrative monetary penalty scheme, which is intended to promote compliance rather than punish, and criminal prosecution.

Consultation

During their studies of the Countering Foreign Interference Act in May and June 2024, both the House of Commons and the Senate conducted extensive committee studies and heard from a broad range of witnesses.

Contact

Office of the Foreign Influence Commissioner of Canada
Email: info@influencecanada.gc.ca