| Link(s): | The CMA’s approach to the new consumer enforcement regime – GOV.UK Consumer protection law for businesses – GOV.UK |
Context
Following its publication of a raft of guidance in relation to its consumer law oversight, the CMA has supported its published stance in a speech delivered on 29 April by Emma Cochrane, the CMS’s Acting Executive Director, Consumer Protection, at the Keystone / Linklaters “All change at the CMA: the new consumer enforcement regime” event. Cochrane set out how the CMA is implementing its consumer protection work under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumer Act (DMCCA).
Key points to note and next actions
- Cochrane stated that the CMA’s purpose, and its statutory mandate to promote competition and protect consumers, has not changed. Those fundamentals remain, and the protection of consumers – people – in the UK underpins everything that the CMA does. The consumer welfare standard is central to competition policy.
- The CMA’s ambition is an effective and independent consumer protection regime, which safeguards UK consumer interests and gives people the confidence they need that the CMA is standing up for them..
- The CMA has two core priorities over the next twelve months. First to support compliance and help businesses to do the right thing. And second, to take action to protect consumers from harm where it sees egregious breaches of the law.
- The CMA will focus on the more serious cases of consumer harm, for example:
- aggressive sales practices that prey on consumers especially those in vulnerable position;
- where information has been provided to consumers that is objectively false; or
- where contract terms are in place that are clearly imbalanced and unfair.
- The speech addresses price transparency and fake reviews.
- The speech goes on to explain how the CMA will implement its recently introduced ‘4Ps’ – pace, predictability, proportionality and process.