The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Competition Commission (CCC) and the East African Community Competition Authority (EACCA) have agreed to jointly facilitate cross-border trade in the region.

The two regional bodies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance cross-border regulation of competition and consumer protection matters.

“The MoU is designed to strengthen coordination in the enforcement of competition and consumer protection laws across overlapping jurisdictions in Eastern and Southern Africa,” they explained.

Established under the Comesa Competition Regulations of 2004, CCC serves as the regional competition and consumer protection agency for the 21 member states.

The EACCA, formed under the EAC Competition Act of 2006, exercises a similar mandate across the eight partner states of the East African Community.

With six countries holding dual membership in both Comesa and the EAC, the agreement is expected to reduce regulatory duplication, enhance predictability in enforcement, and improve the efficiency of market oversight.

The MoU outlines several key areas of collaboration. Among them is the facilitation of information sharing during cross-border investigations, with a particular focus on joint enforcement actions aimed at curbing anti-competitive practices and protecting consumer rights.

The two agencies also plan to coordinate efforts in conducting market inquiries and economic studies, as well as in delivering technical assistance and capacity-building programmes.

Both institutions acknowledged that the signing of the MoU builds upon an already existing working relationship and sets a more structured framework for long-term collaboration.

One of the priorities under the MoU is the establishment of focal points within each agency to oversee and monitor the implementation of joint initiatives.

These focal points will be responsible for developing and executing annual work plans to ensure consistent progress on agreed objectives.

In addition to enforcement, the MoU also includes provisions for joint advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

By collaborating on awareness campaigns, the CCC and EACCA aim to educate market players, government institutions, and the general public on the economic benefits of fair competition and effective consumer protection regimes.