Ceuta appoints María de la Paz Torroba as secretary of the Consumer Arbitration Board

The Ministry of Health and Social Services of the Autonomous City of Ceuta has modified the appointment of the secretariat of the Consumer Arbitration Board, dismissing M.ª José Rodríguez Vinagre and appointing María de la Paz Torroba Morales in her place. This is recorded in decree number 619, signed by Minister Nabila Benzina Pavón, published in the Official Gazette of the City of Ceuta (BOCCE) number 6,649, dated September 4, 2026, in the Authorities and Personnel section (p. 3392).

The decision was adopted following “a modification in the human resources” of the body, as stated in the decree itself, which adapts the composition of the Board to the current situation. The previous appointment of the members of the Consumer Arbitration Board of Ceuta, including its presidents and titular and substitute secretaries, had been published in BOCCE 6,437, dated August 23, 2024.

Regulatory Framework

The decree is based on the competence that Organic Law 1/95, of March 13, of the Statute of Autonomy of Ceuta attributes to the City regarding the defense of consumers and users, developed by Royal Decree 33/1999, of January 15, on the transfer of functions and services in this matter. The composition of the Consumer Arbitration Boards is regulated in Article 5 of Royal Decree 713/2024, of July 23, which approves the Regulations of the Consumer Arbitration System.

According to this regulation, appointments for the presidency and secretariat, whether titular or substitute, must be held by personnel in the service of public administrations and be designated by the administration to which the Board is attached, being published in the official gazette of its territorial scope. Furthermore, the composition must respect the principle of balanced presence of women and men.

Content of the Decree

Decree 619 modifies the appointment of the secretariat of the Consumer Arbitration Board in two ways:

• Dismissal of M.ª José Rodríguez Vinagre as secretary of the Consumer Arbitration Board.
• Appointment of María de la Paz Torroba Morales as the new secretary of the body.

The text orders publication in the Official Gazette of the City of Ceuta and reminds that, as the administrative route is exhausted, an optional appeal for reversal may be filed within one month or a contentious-administrative appeal before the Contentious-Administrative Court of Ceuta within two months.

Relevance of the Body

The Consumer Arbitration Board is the body responsible for resolving claims from consumers and users against companies adhered to the Consumer Arbitration System in Ceuta extrajudicially, avoiding the judicial route. Royal Decree 713/2024 also regulates the public offers of submission to the system and the official badge of adhered companies, which are registered in the corresponding census.

The renewal of its secretariat ensures the correct functioning of a key service for the protection of the rights of Ceutan consumers, which resolves consumer conflicts in the city in an agile and free manner.

Source: Official Gazette of the City of Ceuta (BOCCE), no. 6,649, September 4, 2026, Authorities and Personnel section, page 3392 (official reference: BOCCE-A-2026-619).