Montreal, April 07, 2020 - Consumer protection must be seen as an essential element of international and interprovincial regulatory cooperation activities, and not simply as a barrier to trade, stresses Option consommateurs in a report published today.
Recent free-trade agreements signed by Canada, such as the one with the European Union and the one recently ratified with the United States and Mexico, illustrate the desire of governments to harmonize laws and regulations in order to reduce non-tariff barriers to trade.
However, it is important to ensure that this harmonization does not come at the expense of consumer protection laws and standards. Rather, international regulatory cooperation is an opportunity to harmonize protection levels upwards, thereby ensuring consumer confidence in the marketplace.
To guarantee this, international regulatory cooperation processes must be transparent and allow for the participation of consumer groups. The report points out, however, that recent consultations in Canada have demonstrated the limits of consumer associations' ability to participate in these processes.
"Even if there is a desire to strengthen consumer protection, in reality, Canada's consumer associations do not have the resources to develop the expertise needed to understand the complex issues raised by international regulatory cooperation," insists Jules Bélanger, economist and analyst at Option consommateurs.
Like the European Union, Option consommateurs is therefore calling on the government to increase funding for consumer associations so that they can participate in international regulatory cooperation activities to ensure that consumers are as well protected as possible when trade treaties are concluded.
The "Consumer protection in Canada's international regulatory cooperation activities" research project was carried out thanks to a contribution from the Office of Consumer Affairs of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.
About Option consommateurs
Option consommateurs is a not-for-profit association whose mission is to defend the rights and interests of consumers. It is closely involved in issues related to personal finance, business practices, financial services, protection of personal information, energy, health and agri-food.
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For more information or an interview:
Marie-Ève Dumont, Communications Consultant
514-777-6133
