This is what we see the watch-list doing and why we think it is so important. The watch-list is an early-warning system to warn us that these substances are, potentially, ones you want to avoid substituting if another substance is banned or restricted. We call it “regrettable substitution” when a substance is restricted, so another substance replaces it and we later find out that the other substance is also toxic and of concern. The watch-list is intended to prevent that regrettable substitution from happening by putting out an early-warning system on substances that haven't been assessed, but where there is suspicion they're similar to other chemistries that have been assessed and could be toxic.
Therefore, it's an administrative list. It's not enforceable, but it is an early warning that says, “Don't use these chemicals as potential substitutes for something else that could be banned.” That's one of the powers of the watch-list, in my mind, and why I like it so much and want to keep it in Bill S-5.