ERCA met in Dakar to review the draft ECOWAS Directive on Consumer Protection

The ECOWAS Regional Competition Authority (ERCA) convened a technical working-group meeting to review the Draft ECOWAS Directive on Consumer Protection from the 26th February to 03rd March 2023, in Dakar, Republic of Senegal.

The meeting brought together six (6) technical experts from the ERCA Consultative Competition Committee (CCC) and ERCA staff to review the draft ECOWAS Directive on Consumer Protection before submission for further review by the CCC and subsequently to the meeting of ECOWAS Ministers of Trade and Industry for validation.

The Executive Director of ERCA, Dr. Simeon KOFFI welcomed the working group members to Dakar and thanked them for attending the meeting. He stated that the purpose of the meeting was to review the draft Directive on Consumer Protection following the comments and orientation of the ECOWAS Ministers in charge of Trade and Industry (ECOMOTI) at their meeting in Abidjan in November 2022. Subsequently, the 6th meeting of the CCC will review the draft ECOWAS Directive on Consumer Protection prior its resubmission for consideration and validation by the 2nd ECOMOTI meeting schedule for May 2023.

The Chairperson of the CCC Ms. Boladale Adeyinka also welcomed working group members and thanked ERCA for organizing the meeting. She emphasized the need to amend the document around the orientation of the Ministers of Trade and Industry. She pointed out the comments regarding the institutional framework that should be more flexible to allow Member States to adopt the appropriate mechanisms for consumer protection in line with the goals and objectives set up at the regional level and also with best practices. She encouraged CCC members to be consistently briefing the trade experts who have the responsibility to inform the Ministers of Trade and Industry to facilitate the validation of the draft Directive.

The Directive is the first step in developing a holistic framework for consumer protection in the region. This instrument will help ERCA in promoting and enforcing the regional framework on consumer protection and will contribute to enhance the welfare of consumers within the ECOWAS region.