By Basant El-Faramawy
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has decided to scrap 23 outdated restrictions that it says unnecessarily burden thousands of businesses across various industries.
The measures include removing an order that prevented travel agents from tying travel insurance to the sale of foreign package holidays, and another that stopped the BBC from promoting its own magazines on air. Other scrapped restrictions relate to the supply of fizzy drinks and ice cream, access to local bus stations, and extended warranties on electrical goods.
The regulator also partially removed two restrictions concerning home credit and some soft drinks.
Review of decades-old remedies
The CMA launched a review in January of 33 so-called “remedies” to competition concerns that were put in place between 1987 and 2017. While 23 have been scrapped and two removed in part, six will remain in place. Two others, relating to retail banking and private motor insurance, are still under consideration.
Focus on protections that matter most
Juliette Enser, the CMA’s executive director of enforcement and markets, said removing measures no longer needed will “help reduce the burden on businesses and allow the CMA to focus on the protections that matter most.” She added that strong competition remains central to the regulator’s decision-making.
The announcement comes days after the CMA’s chairman stepped down following what Chancellor Rachel Reeves described as a “different strategic approach” from the government.
