The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a major initiative in January 2026 to examine longstanding interventions in UK markets. This strategic review of CMA markets remedies focuses on 33 undertakings and orders imposed after earlier market investigations.
The goal is to determine whether changes in market conditions, regulation, or consumer behaviour mean these measures are no longer appropriate and should be removed or amended. The process aims to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens whilst also ensuring remaining remedies continue to protect competition and consumers.
Many of the remedies under scrutiny reportedly date back decades, originating under the Fair Trading Act 1973 or the Enterprise Act 2002. They cover sectors ranging from carbonated drinks and impulse ice cream to retail banking, home credit, private motor insurance, local bus services, and domestic bulk LPG supply. Monitoring and enforcing these rules can impose ongoing costs on the businesses subject to them and on the CMA itself.
The review applies a clear test: has there been a change of circumstances such that a remedy no longer addresses the original competition problem or adverse effects it was designed to remedy? Possible changes include market evolution, new regulation, shifts in consumer behaviour, or the fact that a remedy has achieved its purpose and is no longer needed. By prioritising the “back book” of older remedies, the CMA seeks to free resources for more current priorities and support economic growth in line with government expectations of regulators.
For the strategic review of CMA markets remedies, an initial public consultation ran from 19 January to 2 March 2026, inviting evidence on each of the 33 remedies. Following consideration of responses, the CMA published its provisional decision in August 2026. Under that provisional view, the authority reportedly proposed to:
A further consultation on the provisional decision closed on 11 September 2026. The CMA is analysing feedback and expects to issue a final decision sometime around now at the end of 2026. Once finalised, the public register of remedies can be updated, releasing businesses from obligations that are no longer justified.
Implications for Businesses and Next Steps
For companies still subject to any of the 33 remedies, the outcome could mean material relief from reporting, behavioural, or structural obligations. Even where a remedy is retained or only partially removed, the process can provide clarity and an opportunity to engage with the CMA on the evidence of changed circumstances. Firms in related sectors should also monitor developments, as the review signals a broader willingness by the CMA to revisit legacy interventions more systematically.
Businesses affected by these measures—or those monitoring CMA markets work more generally—should review the provisional decision documents and the original list of remedies carefully. Preparing clear evidence of market changes, compliance costs, and the effectiveness (or otherwise) of existing obligations can strengthen any further representations or help plan for the final outcome.
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