Supranational or cooperative? Rethinking the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement Competition Protocol institutional design.

The article focuses on the institutional design options for the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Competition Protocol (CP), which aims to regulate competition across Africa's continental market. It examines three main models: supranational, cooperative, and informal networks, analyzing their benefits and costs in light of existing African regional competition regimes (RCRs) and national competition authorities (NCAs). Considering Africa's diverse economic development, political dynamics, and attitudes toward supranational institutions, the article argues that a less ambitious institutional design—either a cooperative framework or a decentralized supranational model with limited authority focused on continental-wide competition issues—would be more feasible and likely to gain political and business acceptance. Drawing lessons from African, European, and Asian experiences, the article emphasizes that the AfCFTA CP should complement existing regional and national competition laws, foster cooperation, and support regional integration without undermining national sovereignty.