The Government of El Salvador, which is a founding member of COMPAL, hosted the first  Annual Conference of the COMPAL II Programme from 14 to 16 April 2010. The meeting reviewed the three pillars of its work based on the activities in the area of (i) competition law and policy; (ii) Consumer Protection issues; and (iii) Regional cooperation issues which are implemented under COMPAL II for Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic.

One of the cross-cutting issues discussed in the three areas was the review of the impact of COMPAL activities at national and regional levels during the first year of implementation. The progress reports submitted by each of the ten countries show the strong commitment by the beneficiary countries to an effective enforcement of competition and consumer protection laws. In addition, the meeting also highlighted the finalization of competition laws and policies as well as the establishment of one new competition agency. Furthermore, the beneficiaries reported on the increased number of successful cases in competition and consumer protection complaints resolved by their respective agencies. The meeting also heard about of the positive role which advocacy plays in promoting compliance with both laws.

One of the objectives of COMPAL II is deepen cooperation among the COMPAL members as  agencies strengthened human and technical capacity enforced both laws. In this connection, the first Annual COMPAL II conference identified new areas for regional cooperation including advanced investigative techniques for sectoral studies and competition assessment and impact on consumer welfare. Read more