Competition Commission Process
The Competition Commission (CC) is an independent public body which conducts in-depth inquiries into mergers, markets and the regulation of the major regulated industries.
The CC investigate and address issues of concern in three areas:
- In mergers
- In markets
- 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.
When a reference is made to the CC, the Chairman selects members to serve on the group that will conduct that investigation. A group consists of a minimum of three members, one of whom acts as the Group Chairman.
Timetable
The CC must reach its decisions and publish its report within the following statutory time limits:
- Regulatory references (other than Ofcom price control references): six months but one extension of up to six months (three months for airports) is permitted.
Major stages of merger and a market investigations
The main stages of an investigation (which often overlap and do not necessarily take place in this order) are:
- gathering information, including the issue of questionnaires;
- hearing witnesses;
- verifying information;
- providing a statement of issues;
- considering responses to the statement of issues;
- notifying parties of emerging thinking (market investigations);
- notifying parties of and publishing provisional findings;
- notifying and considering possible remedies;
- considering exclusions from disclosure; and
- publishing reports.
For more information go to: http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/ 
