CMA and IRM publish 2020 competition law risk guide

[edit] Introduction

A 2020 guide to competition rules has been issued to help managers, directors and their advisers to stay on the right side of the law.

[edit] Coverage of key issues

The latest guide from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), together with the Institute of Risk Management, features case studies that draw out lessons learned and provides examples of best practice.

It also shines a light on accountability, highlighting that it is the responsibility of directors to ensure their companies comply with competition law – and that risk professionals advising them must make sure they are aware of this.

[edit] CMA activities set path

It comes as the CMA secures its 20th disqualification of a company director in the past four years. One example involved the director of an estate agent who has been prevented by court order from being a director of any UK company for seven years. This was due to his contribution to an illegal arrangement in which six estate agents in Somerset agreed to fix a minimum commission rate of 1.5% for residential estate agency services.

As well as imposing fines on companies breaking competition law, the CMA is increasingly using its power to seek the disqualification of directors. This reflects a toughening of the CMA's approach to competition law enforcement over the past year.

Alongside the new risk guide, the CMA has a 'Cheating or Competing?' campaign page which includes advice for businesses and their advisors to help them recognise, mitigate and report anti-competitive business practices.

This article originally appeared on the CIAT website under the headline, "CMA updates competition law risk guide". It was published on 23 September 2020.

--CIAT

[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings

• CIAT articles.
• Code of conduct.
• Competition and Markets Authority CMA.
• Competition law.
• Construction contract.
• Ethics in construction.
• Risk management.
• Traditional contract: business justification.

[edit] External resources

• CMA, Cheating or competing?
• CMA, Competition law risk: a short guide.