About the CMC

Consumer protection remains an important part of the federal, provincial and territorial governments' agenda. In a spirit of cooperation and to improve efficiency on the consumer front, the Consumer Measures Committee (CMC) was created under Chapter Eight of the Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT).

The Consumer Measures Committee has a representative from the federal government as well as every province and territory. The CMC provides a federal-provincial-territorial forum for national cooperation to improve the marketplace for Canadian consumers, through harmonization of laws, regulations and practices and through actions to raise public awareness.

The AIT identifies three consumer areas requiring the committee's attention:

• direct selling;
• cost of credit disclosure; and
• upholstered and stuffed articles measures.

The Agreement also encourages the harmonization of consumer standards in other areas. The CMC has been given the responsibility to identify any substantive measures to be included in future negotiations and to act as a forum for discussions among governments on consumer related issues.

To date, good progress has been made. In the area of harmonization, efforts regarding measures for upholstered and stuffed articles, direct sellers and cost of credit disclosure, are now complete.

At their meeting in St. John's on May 25, 2001, Ministers agreed to update and harmonize consumer protection legislation in the area of electronic commerce. Ministers also agreed to harmonize, across the country, the rules governing debt collection through collection agencies.

The CMC is presently co-chaired by the Director General of the Office of Consumer Affairs, Industry Canada and by the Director of the Consumers' Bureau, Manitoba Finance.