75) The Delegations of Brazil and Colombia pointed out that the representatives of consumer organizations were taking an active part in the National Codex Committee and were providing a positive input in its work and decisions. The Delegation of Costa Rica informed the Committee about its legislation on consumer protection, and stressed the importance of providing information and training to consumers on safety and quality issues; for this purpose a telephone information service had been established and courses were being organized. Consumer complaints were treated with a high priority and unfair practices detrimental to consumers were sanctioned severely.
76) The Delegation of Chile recalled that the National Committee established in 1997 included all relevant sectors of activity, including representatives of consumers, who participated and had the right to vote. The Ministry of Economy (Department for Consumer Affairs - CERNAC) was responsible for addressing consumer complaints and various industries had established a consumer information service. The Delegation of Salvador pointed out that there was a national Law on Consumer Protection and an office which took care of consumers. The National Codex Committee (NCC) included both a government component with the Direction of Consumer Protection and an NGO, the Centre for Consumer Defence.
77) The Delegation of Paraguay indicated that a Law on Consumer Protection was recently promulgated and that at the national level there was an Office of Consumer Protection in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and another one in the Municipality of Ascunción. The importance of establishing a consumers organization participating effectively in the activities of the National Commission was stressed; however there were no organizations of consumers as yet in the country. The Delegation of Bolivia indicated that a draft Law on Consumer Protection was under consideration, that some NGOs were participating in the Codex sub-committees; although some consumer organizations existed at the regional level, they were not yet organized into national structures.
78) The Delegation of Ecuador informed the Committee that the Law on Consumer Protection had been in force for ten years and that the Direction of Consumer Protection addressed the complaints of consumers concerning commodities and services. Although no legally recognized consumers organizations existed, NGOs could participate freely in the discussions on standards and in the Direction Council of INEC consumers were represented by a permanent delegate.
79) The Delegation of Mexico reported that consumer associations participated actively in the National Codex Committee and other committees which addressed food legislation and food control matters. The Delegation of Argentina indicated that the national consumer association received all documentation and participated regularly in the work of the National Codex Committee.
80) The Delegation of Guatemala referred to its Law on Consumer Protection and to the structure of the NCC which included all interested sectors, including consumers. The Delegation of the Dominican Republic indicated that consumers associations were federated into a national organization which participated in the NCC with the right to vote.
81) The Delegation of Belize noted that questions of consumers protection were considered in the sub-committees of the Belize Bureau of Standards where several NGOs participated, some of which represented women organizations, but no non-governmental consumer organization existed. The Delegation of Trinidad and Tobago indicated that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs was responsible for consumer protection and addressed consumer complaints; in addition, the Consumers Protection Act had been recently approved and would be implemented soon. The Delegation of Barbados informed the Committee that the Ministry of Trade and Consumer Affairs was officially responsible for consumer complaints and that no independent consumer organization existed at the moment.
82) The Observer from Consumers International for Latin America and the Caribbean recognized that progress had been made in a number of countries, among which Brazil, Chile and El Salvador, which integrated consumers organizations at the highest level in the National Codex Committees with the right to vote. However, in the majority of countries consumer participation remained marginal and only the right to vote would make it effective. The Observer noted the action taken in several countries concerning the information of consumers and treatment of complaints but pointed out that the most important point was participation of consumers organizations as such at the political level, rather than consumer protection at the individual level. In this respect, the necessity of establishing independent consumers organizations were stressed. The Observer indicated that consumer participation should be promoted in food control systems, especially in developing countries, where it was more difficult to ensure an efficient control system.
83) The Delegation of Mexico expressed the view that the position of consumer organizations participating in the decision process was reflected in the position of the official delegation attending Codex meetings, even if consumer representatives were not actually present in the meetings.
84) The Chairman thanked the delegations for the interesting information provided and recalled that the CCGP would be considering the procedures for the participation of NGOs in the work of Codex at its next session, on the basis of the document circulated in CL 1998/31-GP.
