Brexit:hub
25 November 2020
Author: Rachel BrandenburgerSenior Advisor & Foreign Legal Consultant*Hogan Lovells US LLP*Admitted in England & Wales
Contact: Susan Bright
The end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020 is likely to be a watershed in UK competition law. There will be some immediate changes including:
Over time, a degree of divergence between UK and EU competition law is also likely.
Other initiatives such as the UK Government's recently announced initiative to set up a Digital Markets Unit "to oversee a pro-competition regime for platforms including those funded by digital advertising, such as Google and Facebook" following the Furman report on Unlocking Digital Competition and a CMA market study, as well as the current Penrose review of UK competition law, may result in further changes to UK competition law.
For more information see Beyond Brexit transition - the CMA's role post-Brexit
19 November 2020 - Macro
The competition law regime in the UK has remained largely unchanged since it left the EU at the start of this year because the Withdrawal Agreement between the UK and the EU provided for a "transition period" maintaining the existing system until 31 December 2020.