Review of the interaction between the Market Access Principles and England’s Air Quality (Domestic Solid Fuels Standards) Regulations 2020

The Office for the Internal Market (OIM) has accepted its first joint referral from the UK and devolved administrations, to review how the Market Access Principles (MAPs) affect the UK internal market for certain products under Defra's 'Ready to Burn' scheme.

Case information

The OIM has accepted a joint referral from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for a review of the impact of the Market Access Principles (MAPs) on the UK internal market with respect to certain products that fall within Defra’s ‘Ready-to-burn’ certification scheme. The review will speak to manufacturers, distributors and retailers and consider cross-border sales of certified and uncertified manufactured solid fuels and house coal, the role of the MAPs, and the impact on market participants.

The scope of the review does not include heating oil and is separate to other CMA work relating to heating oil. We will publish our non-binding advice to the referring governments.

Indicative timetable

Date Action
Late July 2026 Report publication
April to July 2026 Evidence gathering and analysis
30 April 2026 Review opened

Published in line with the OIM’s approach to transparency and information disclosure. We will publish any changes to the timetable on this page.

Stakeholder engagement

The OIM is keen to hear from a wide range of stakeholders including manufacturers, retailers, wholesalers, distributors, and others across the supply chain about their experiences of selling certified and uncertified manufactured solid fuels and house coal.

Contacts

For media enquiries, contact the CMA press office.

Telephone numbers
  • Phone: 020 3738 6460 
  • Out of hours: 020 3738 6878

Opening hours

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5:30pm. On bank holidays, use our out of hours number.

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Personal data

The OIM may collect, use and share personal data for its work. This includes processing personal data for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. Further details are set out in the CMA’s Personal Information Charter.

Updates to this page

Published 30 April 2026