Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)

Overview

The Competition and Markets Authority is the UK's principal competition and consumer protection regulator. It enforces the Competition Act 1998 (Chapter I and II prohibitions), reviews mergers, conducts market investigations, and (under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024) directly enforces consumer protection law with civil penalty powers.

What it handles

• Cartel and bid-rigging investigations
• Abuse of a dominant position
• Merger reviews above thresholds
• Market studies and investigations
• Consumer protection enforcement (under DMCCA 2024)

Process

1. Step 1: Report the problem

   Competition, consumer, or market problems can be reported to the CMA online, by phone, or by email.

2. Step 2: Automated acknowledgement

   After you submit your complaint, you receive an automated email response, and the CMA reviews all the information you've provided.

3. Step 3: CMA considers action

   Using the information received, the CMA may contact businesses involved with the submission, investigate and take legal action against businesses, or conduct studies or investigations into markets.

4. Step 4: Formal enforcement case

   If the CMA decides to open a formal enforcement case, it may contact the person who reported the problem and give them the opportunity to comment on it.

Official sources