Project:"General and Sectoral Conciliation Commissions of the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC) – Civic Oversight for Effectiveness"

The project was implemented by the Youth Alliance – Varna as the beneficiary organization. Experts from the Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution “Consensus” (CADR “Consensus”) were invited to join the project team, where they played an active role in drafting analytical reports and legislative proposals related to consumer protection.

The project activities constituted a comprehensive reform programme aimed at improving the alternative dispute resolution (ADR) services in the field of consumer protection, by strengthening civil society involvement in ADR bodies and in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of consumer protection services.

As part of the project, a discussion meeting with business representatives was held, along with three round tables, one of which took place in Sofia. The final roundtable brought together:

Representatives from the Consumer Protection Commission (CPC)

General Directorate "Market Control"

The Chair of the General Conciliation Commission under the CPC, Sofia Regional Department

Representatives from the Ombudsman’s Office – Department of "International Standards and Legislation"

The Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI)

The Professional Association of Mediators in Bulgaria

Representatives of sociological agencies, civil society organizations, NGOs, and others

The outcomes of the discussion were integrated into the final project report, which included concrete legislative recommendations for optimizing the consumer protection legal framework.

Thanks to the research and activities under the project, the public was informed about:

The need for restructuring the centralized ADR service model, and

The potential for reorganizing the conciliation commissions

A key conclusion drawn from the project was the importance of strengthening collaboration between public administration, citizens, and businesses in delivering effective consumer protection and resolving consumer disputes.

The project’s analyses and recommendations for legal reforms gave visibility to citizens’ needs and demands, and empowered them to propose measures for accountability and efficiency of the CPC’s administrative structures.

Files for download

• • Monitoring, Feedback, and Evaluation Mechanism for interactions between citizens/businesses and the conciliation commissions of the Consumer Protection Commission, Varna
• • Recommendations for Improving the Effectiveness of General and Sectoral Conciliation Commissions under the CPC through Civic Participation, including Proposals for Legislative Changes