About us
Role | Members | Staff |
Brief history
Role of the CC
The Competition Commission (CC) is one of the independent
public bodies which help ensure healthy competition between
companies in the UK for the benefit
of companies, customers and the economy.
We investigate and address issues of concern in
three areas:
• In
mergers - when larger companies will gain more
than 25% market share and where a merger appears
likely to lead to a substantial lessening of competition
in one or more markets in the UK.
• In
markets - when it appears that competition may be being
prevented, distorted or restricted in a particular market.
• In
regulated sectors where aspects of the regulatory system
may not be operating effectively or to address certain
categories of dispute between regulators and regulated
companies.
Our investigations are thorough and open. If our investigations
conclude that the situation significantly damages or restricts
competition in the UK, then we work to determine and implement
appropriate remedies. A wide range of remedies is available
to the CC both in merger and market investigations. For example,
in a merger investigation, the CC can stop a merger from
going ahead, require a firm to sell off part of its business,
or require them to behave in a way that safeguards competition.
If the CC decides that remedies are required, we will consult
with relevant parties on the choice and form of these measures
and then set out our decision on remedies in our final report.
Following publication of the final report we will work with
relevant parties to prepare undertakings or orders that give
effect to our requirement. We are required to consult the
public on undertakings and orders before these are implemented.
Our inquiries are always initiated following a concern referred to us by another
authority: usually the Office
of Fair Trading. We also investigate issues referred
to us by the sector regulators for communications, gas and electricity, water,
rail, airports, postal services, or by the Secretary of State for Business,
Enterprise and Regulatory Reform. Click here for further detail on sources
of our investigations; we cannot investigate companies or markets without
a referral from one of these bodies.
Members
The decision making body for each inquiry is a group of
at least three independent experts, drawn from a wider panel
of around 50 appointed members.
Members are supported by a specialist staff team on each inquiry. Inquiry
groups are usually
led by the CC’s Chairman Mr
Peter Freeman or one of the Deputy Chairmen
Mr
Christopher Clarke, Mrs
Diana Guy and Dr
Peter Davis. Members are appointed to the
CC for eight years, following open competition. They are selected and appointed
by the Government for their experience, ability and diversity of skills in
competition economics, law, finance and industry. All except the Chairman
work part-time for the CC. Members'
biographies are available.
Staff
The CC has around 150 staff, headed by Martin
Stanley. These include economists,
business advisers, lawyers, administrators, accountants and support staff
(information services, finance, human resources). Click
here for an organisation
chart.
Two-thirds are direct employees; the remainder are on temporary contract
to help meet the CC’s current workload, or on loan
from government departments. Biographies
of senior staff are available.
Brief history
The CC replaced the Monopolies and Mergers Commission
in 1999, following the Competition Act 1998. The
Enterprise Act 2002 introduced a new regime for
the assessment of mergers and markets in the UK. The
CC’s legal role is
now clearly focused on competition issues, replacing a wider public interest
test
in the previous regime. The Enterprise Act also gave the CC remedial powers
to direct companies to take certain actions to improve competition; in
the previous regime its role was simply to make recommendations
to Government.
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