About Competition and Markets Authority

We work to ensure that consumers get a good deal when buying goods and services, and businesses operate within the law.

We do this in a number of ways:

• we investigate mergers between organisations, to make sure they don’t reduce competition
• we investigate entire markets if we think there are competition or consumer problems
• we take action against businesses and individuals that take part in cartels or anti-competitive behaviour
• we protect consumers from unfair trading practices
• we encourage government and other regulators to use competition effectively on behalf of consumers

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is an independent non-ministerial department. Our work is overseen by a Board, and led by the Chief Executive and senior team. Decisions in some investigations are made by independent members of a CMA panel.