Competition and Markets Authority

UK government non-ministerial department

Competition and Markets Authority

Authority overview
Formed| 1 October 2013
Type| Non-ministerial government department
Jurisdiction| United Kingdom
Headquarters| The Cabot
25 Cabot Square
London
E14 4QZ
Employees| 1,104; 1,071 FTEs (2024)[1]
Authority executives|

* Doug Gurr (interim) (Chairperson)[2]
* Sarah Cardell (CEO)[3]

Parent department| Department for Business and Trade
Child Authority|

* Office for the Internal Market

Website| gov.uk/cma

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the principal competition regulator in the United Kingdom. It is a non-ministerial government department in the United Kingdom, responsible for promoting competitive markets and tackling unfair behaviour.[4] The CMA launched in shadow form on 1 October 2013 and began operating fully on 1 April 2014, when it assumed many of the functions of the previously existing Competition Commission and Office of Fair Trading, which were abolished. The CMA also has consumer protection responsibilities and take on new digital markets regulation responsibilities in late 2024 under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024.[5]

The CMA alongside the European Commission, the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, is a globally important antitrust agency.[6]

## History

[edit]

On 15 March 2012, the UK Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) announced proposals for strengthening competition in the UK by merging the Office of Fair Trading and the Competition Commission to create a new single Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).[7] The formation of the CMA was enacted in Part 3 of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, which received royal assent on 25 April 2013.[8][9]

In July 2012, Lord Currie was appointed chairman designate of the CMA, and in January 2013, Alex Chisholm was appointed Chief Executive designate.[10][11]

On 15 July 2013, BIS announced the first stage of an open public consultation period and published a summary setting out the background to the consultation and inviting views on the draft guidance for the CMA.[12] The first stage of the consultation ended on 6 September 2013. On 17 September, BIS announced the second consultation stage, which closed on 7 November 2013.[13]

During 2013 and 2014, the CMA announced several waves of appointments at the director level, reporting to members of the senior executive team.[14]

Following a consultation, the CMA published the Rules of Procedure for CMA merger, market, and special reference groups on 28 March 2014.[15]

On 12 August 2019, the CMA's London office moved to The Cabot, 25 Cabot Square, in London's Canary Wharf area.[16][17]

In 2021, the CMA announced that it would establish branch offices in Manchester and Darlington. The Manchester office would house the Digital Markets Unit, charged with "oversee[ing] a new regulatory regime for the most powerful digital firms", forming a 'Digital Hub' with the Digital Regulation Co-operation Forum. The Darlington office, part of the UK Government's Darlington Economic Campus, would be home to the Microeconomics Unit, in charge of the economic research and evaluation functions of the CMA, including production of the State of Competition report. The Microeconomics Unit is intended to complement the Bank of England's role in macroeconomics, and in July 2023 announced a research and skills-development partnership with the Durham Research in Economic Analysis and Mechanisms centre at Durham University.[18][19]

On 21 January 2025, Marcus Bokkerink resigned from the post of chair of the CMA, after disagreements with government ministers on how to drive growth, prosperity and opportunity for the UK. Bokkerink advocated an approach that focused on empowering consumers to make choices, fostering competition, creating a level playing field for challegers as well as incumbents, and creating the conditions for the resulting innovation, productivity growth and investment to diffuse across the economy, safeguarded by an independent competition and consumer protection authority. He was replaced by former Amazon UK boss, Doug Gurr, on an interim basis.[20][21]

## Responsibilities

[edit]

See also: English contract law and EU competition law

In situations where competition could be unfair or consumer choice may be affected, the CMA is responsible for:[22]

* investigating phase 1 and phase 2 mergers[23]
* conducting market studies and market investigations[24]
* investigating possible breaches of prohibitions against anti-competitive agreements under the Competition Act 1998
* bringing criminal proceedings against individuals who commit cartel offences
* enforcing consumer protection legislation, particularly the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contract Directive and Regulations
* encouraging regulators to use their competition powers
* considering regulatory references and appeals

## Notable cases

[edit]

* Acquisition of Activision Blizzard by Microsoft: the authority initially ruled against the deal but, following an investigation, changed its position[25]
* Giphy § Attempted acquisition by Meta Platforms: the authority found that there was a risk that Facebook could pull Giphy's services from competitors, or require them to provide more user data as a condition of service.[26]
* MyFerryLink: the authority maintained that Eurotunnel, which leased the three MyFerryLink vessels to the SCOP, could no longer operate ferry services from Dover, due to competition concerns.[27] The ruling was appealed by Eurotunnel,[28] allowing sailings operated by the company to continue as normal.[29]
* Ticketmaster: an investigation was announced over concerns regarding the sale of concert tickets by Ticketmaster for the Oasis Live '25 Tour.[30]
* Veterinary services: an initial review undertaken in September 2023 elicited 56,000 responses from pet owners,[31] leading to a full investigation being commenced in June 2024.[32]

## See also

[edit]

* English contract law
* EU competition law

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "CMA: workforce management information March 2024". Retrieved 4 February 2022.
2. ^ "Government ousts UK competition watchdog chair". BBC News. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
3. ^ "Sarah Cardell, CEO of the Competition and Markets Authority". GOV.UK. Retrieved 11 February 2024.
4. ^ "About us". Competition and Markets Authority. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
5. ^ Legislation.gov.uk (5 June 2024). "Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024". Legislation.gov.uk. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
6. ^ "The newfound influence of the UK's competition watchdog". www.ft.com. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
7. ^ "Strengthening competition and creating a single competition and markets authority (CMA)". Department for Business Innovation & Skills. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
8. ^ "Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013, Part 3". The National Archives. 25 April 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
9. ^ "Competition and Markets Authority". Institute for Government. 25 July 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
10. ^ "Competition and Markets Authority". Ministerial statement by Vince Cable. 8 January 2013. Retrieved 1 April 2013.
11. ^ "How we're revitalising markets for economic growth". CityAM. Archived from the original on 6 April 2014.
12. ^ "Competition and Markets Authority – Open consultation guidance". Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. 15 July 2013. Retrieved 2 August 2013.
13. ^ "Competition and Markets Authority guidance, Part 2". Department for Business Innovation and Skills, UK Government. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
14. ^ Appointments at Director level:
seven: "CMA announces further appointments". Competition and Markets Authority, UK Government. 6 November 2013. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
eighteen "Second wave of appointments". Competition and Markets Authority, UK Government. 14 November 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
eighteen "Third wave of appointments". Competition and Markets Authority, UK Government. 13 December 2013. Retrieved 24 December 2013.
eleven "Further wave of appointments". Competition and Markets Authority, UK Government. 24 January 2014. Retrieved 10 February 2014.
15. ^ "Rules of Procedure for Merger, Market and Special Reference Groups" (PDF). CMA. 28 March 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
16. ^ "CMA completes move to Canary Wharf". Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 12 August 2019.
17. ^ "CMA gets £17m advance to keep Canary Wharf office move on track". Civil Service World. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 29 December 2024.
18. ^ "CMA to open offices in Manchester and Darlington". CMA. 19 November 2021.
19. ^ "Microeconomics expertise takes alliance with UK government to the next level". Durham University. 28 July 2023.
20. ^ "Government fires UK competition watchdog chair". BBC News. 21 January 2025..
21. ^ "Ousted CMA chair hits back after sudden dismissal". The Times. 7 February 2025. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
22. ^ "CMA Responsibilities". UK Government. Retrieved 17 March 2014.
23. ^ "Competition: Mergers - detailed information - GOV.UK".
24. ^ "Competition: Markets - detailed information - GOV.UK".
25. ^ Dring, Christopher (14 July 2023). "UK regulator extends deadline on final decision over Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard". GamesIndustry.biz. Archived from the original on 14 July 2023. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
26. ^ Aripaka, Pushkala (12 August 2021). "Facebook may have to sell Giphy on Britain's competition concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
27. ^ "Eurotunnel blocked from Dover ferry service". BBC News. 6 June 2013.
28. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 20 June 2013.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
29. ^ MyFerryLink. "Business as usual for MyFerryLink Dover-Calais ferries after Competition Commission ruling". myferrylink.com.
30. ^ "CMA launches investigation into Ticketmaster over Oasis concert sales". GOV.UK. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
31. ^ Yorkshire Reporter, CAM Presses Ahead with Full Investigation into Vets Market, June 2024, p. 20
32. ^ Competition and Markets Authority, Veterinary services for household pets, updated 10 June 2024, accessed on 24 June 2024

## External links

[edit]

* Official website
* "Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013". UK Government.
* "CMA structure". UK Government.
* "CMA cases". UK Government.

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Department for Business and Trade

Ministers|

* Secretary of State for Business and Trade: Jonathan Reynolds
* Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security: Douglas Alexander
* Minister for Industry: Sarah Jones
* Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Employment Rights, Competition and Markets: Justin Madders
* Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Services, Small Business and Exports: Gareth Thomas
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