Making markets work for consumers is a core mission for UK agencies with competition and consumer protection responsibilities.  This task assumes heightened importance in the context of current cost-of-living pressures.  In this post, we discuss recent regulatory interventions that have focused on these issues.

On July 12, the CMA published its final guidance (the Guidance) accompanying the UK’s block exemption for vertical agreements (VABEO).[1] 

The UK Government’s response to its consultations on ‘Reforming competition and consumer policy’ (April 2022) confirmed the Government’s proposals to give the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) enhanced consumer law enforcement powers.

The UK Government’s responses to its consultations on ‘Reforming competition and consumer policy’ (April 2022) and ‘A new pro-competitive regime for digital markets’ (May 2022) included three proposals to amend or add jurisdictional or reporting criteria for the UK merger control regime. These would give the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) oversight of a wider range of mergers if implemented.