One of the items on the workshop’s agenda is a presentation of the Advisory’ body’s Activity Report, followed by the ERCA legal and institutional framework. Other items on the workshop’s agenda are the consultant’s draft report, draft supplementary act amending Supplementary Act A/SA.2/12/08 creating the ERCA as well as the Agency’s draft Regulation on the institutional framework.
Also, members of the Advisory Committee would also consider sanctions, penalties and modalities for waivers, directives on mergers and acquisitions, draft standard cooperation agreement between ERCA and national competition agencies as well as draft comparative study on competition framework in Member States.
In his opening statement, Mr Konwi Tei, Commissioner in charge of Trade, Customs and Free Movement of Persons conveyed the high expectations of the ECOWAS Commission to validate texts adopted by the institution’s statutory bodies before the end of 2021, to enable the agency commence its activities from January 2022. «The Commission will conduct a study on a number of economic sectors to ensure that priority sectors within the region that qualify for EU funded 11th EDF are identified» Commissioner Konzi Tei declared
une vue des experts…
In her welcome address, Ambassador Vabah Gayflor, ERCA’s Executive Director recalled the importance of the meeting which will serve as the forum for studying documents relating to the establishment of the legal and political framework for the implementation of Community competition rules, as a condition for regulating regional trade, the region’s economic development and the effective operationalisation of the ERCA.  «In that regard, a consultant has been recruited to assess the competition framework of Member States and make proposals, particularly the institutional  framework, organigramme, operational modalities and implementation instruments of the ERCA, as well as the training needs of national experts» Mrs Vabah Gayflor stated.