Consumer Protection in International Regulatory Cooperation Activities in Canada
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Consumer protection in international regulatory cooperation activities in Canada RESEARCH REPORT Report produced by Option consommateurs and submitted to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Office of Consumer Affairs June 2019 Consumer protection in international regulatory cooperation activities in Canada Option consommateurs received funding under Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s Contributions Program for Non-Profit Consumer and Voluntary Organizations. The opinions expressed in this report are not necessarily those of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada or the Government of Canada. Reproduction of this report, in whole or in part, is permitted provided that the source is acknowledged. Reproduction of its content or any reference thereto for advertising or commercial purposes, however, are strictly prohibited. Legal Deposit Bibliothèque nationale du Québec National Library of Canada ISBN 978-2-89716-063-0 Option consommateurs 50, Ste-Catherine Street West, Suite 440 Montreal (Quebec) H2X 3V4 Tel.: 514 598-7288 Fax: 514 598-8511 e-mail:[email protected] Website:www.option-consommateurs.org Option consommateurs, 2019 2 Consumer protection in international regulatory cooperation activities in Canada Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................................................. 5 SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................... 6 ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 8 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 9 2 REGULATORY COOPERATION ......................................................................................................... 11 2.1 DEFINITION, CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 11 2.2 THE ROLE OF STAKEHOLDERS IN IRC ..................................................................................................... 15 2.3 IRC AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ....................................................................................................... 17 2.4 IRC IN CANADA ............................................................................................................................... 19 3 THREE IRC INITIATIVES IN CANADA ................................................................................................ 22 3.1 PRINCIPLES AND OBJECTIVES, REGULATORY SOVEREIGNTY AND PROTECTION LEVELS ....................................... 25 3.1.1 The CETA ..................................................................................................................................... 25 3.1.2 The RCC ....................................................................................................................................... 28 3.1.3 The CFTA ..................................................................................................................................... 29 3.1.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 32 3.2 REGULATORY COOPERATION ACTIVITIES AND PROCESSES .......................................................................... 33 3.2.1 The CETA ..................................................................................................................................... 33 3.2.2 The RCC ....................................................................................................................................... 38 3.2.3 The CFTA ..................................................................................................................................... 38 3.2.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 44 3.3 STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION ............................................................................................................. 44 3.3.1 The CETA ..................................................................................................................................... 44 3.3.2 The RCC ....................................................................................................................................... 45 3.3.3 The CFTA ..................................................................................................................................... 46 3.3.4 Discussion ................................................................................................................................... 47 3.4 CONSULTATIONS HELD TO DATE .......................................................................................................... 48 4 IRC AND CONSUMERS ABROAD ..................................................................................................... 51 4.1 THE EUROPEAN UNION ..................................................................................................................... 51 4.1.1 Regulatory cooperation and the internal market ....................................................................... 51 4.1.2 Participation of consumer organizations .................................................................................... 57 4.2 SWITZERLAND ................................................................................................................................. 61 4.2.1 Regulatory cooperation and the internal market ....................................................................... 61 4.2.2 Regulatory cooperation and the international market ............................................................... 66 4.2.3 Consumer protection................................................................................................................... 67 4.3 AUSTRALIA ..................................................................................................................................... 71 4.3.1 Regulatory cooperation and the internal market ....................................................................... 71 4.3.2 Consumer protection................................................................................................................... 73 5 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................................... 83 APPENDIX 1 – BRIEF HISTORY OF CONSUMER PROTECTION LAW IN THE EUROPEAN UNION ................. 87 THE CONSUMER IN THE TREATY OF ROME .......................................................................................................... 87 THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY AND THE CASSIS DE DIJON PRINCIPLE ......................................................... 89 FROM THE COMMON MARKET TO THE SINGLE MARKET ....................................................................................... 93 THE NEW APPROACH ...................................................................................................................................... 96 Option consommateurs, 2019 3 Consumer protection in international regulatory cooperation activities in Canada Option consommateurs MISSION Option consommateurs is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and defend the rights and interests of consumers and ensure that they are respected. HISTORY Option consommateurs has been in existence since 1983, when it arose from the Associations coopératives d’économie familiale movement, more specifically, the Montreal ACEF. In 1999, it joined forces with the Association des consommateurs du Québec (ACQ), which had already pursued a similar mission for over 50 years. PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES Option consommateurs helps consumers who experience difficulties, receives budget consultation and provides information sessions on budgeting, debt, consumer law and the protection of privacy. Each year, we conduct research on important consumer issues. We also work with policy makers and the media to denounce unacceptable situations. When necessary, we institute legal collective action against traders. MEMBERSHIP In its quest to bring about change, Option consommateurs is active on many fronts: conducting research, organizing class action suits, and applying pressure on companies and government authorities. You can help us do more for you by becoming a member of Option consommateurs at www.option-consommateurs.org Option consommateurs, 2019 4 Consumer protection in international regulatory cooperation activities in Canada Acknowledgments This research was conducted by Victor Tréguier, specialist consultant in international relations, and Jules Bélanger, economist and analyst at Option consommateurs. The authors wish to thank Tess Scott-Giasson, former intern at Option consommateurs, and Alexandre Plourde, a lawyer with Option consommateurs, for their contribution to the research. We also wish to thank Léa Auffret and Laurens Rutten of BEUC who generously granted an interview as part of this research. Finally, thanks are also due to Bruno Marien, sociologist and lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and Law at the Université du Québec à Montréal, who performed the evaluation. Option consommateurs, 2019 5 Consumer protection