European Commission adopts proposals to sign and conclude the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement

European Commission - Press release European Commission adopts proposals to sign and conclude the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement Brussels, 20 May 2025 The European Commission today adopted the proposals for Council decisions to sign and conclude the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement. The Competition Cooperation Agreement will put in place a clear framework for cooperation on competition matters between, on the one side, the Commission and EU Member States' competition authorities and, on the other side, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority when enforcing EU competition rules. It will set out that important antitrust and merger investigations are brought to each other's attention. It will also allow the coordination of investigations between the jurisdictions involved when necessary, which on the EU side may involve the Commission or Member State competition authorities depending on the case, and set out clear principles of cooperation aimed at avoiding any conflicts between jurisdictions. Regarding the exchange of confidential information, the consent of the company providing the information will continue to be required. The Competition Cooperation Agreement will be a ‘supplementing agreement' to the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, which provides for competition cooperation and coordination and foresees the possibility to enter into a separate agreement on competition cooperation. Next steps The agreement will enter into force after...