Open consultation

Strategic review of merger remedies 2025

From:
Competition and Markets Authority
Published
8 December 2025

Summary

The CMA gives notice of its intention to release 37 historic or obsolete merger remedies.

This consultation closes at

Consultation description

Undertakings and orders are the primary means by which the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) implements remedies to resolve any competition concerns it finds following a merger investigation under the Enterprise Act 2002 (the Act). Remedies can take different forms such as the prohibition of a merger, the divestiture of a business or behavioural commitments to do or refrain from doing certain things.

The CMA has a statutory duty under section 92 of the Act to keep undertakings and orders under review. From time to time, the CMA must consider whether, by reason of any change of circumstances:

  • undertakings are no longer appropriate and need to be varied, superseded or one or more parties released; or

  • an order is no longer appropriate and needs to be varied or revoked

We are conducting a CMA-initiated strategic review of a number of merger remedies in our portfolio. A strategic review enables the CMA to review and vary, release or revoke remedies efficiently, thereby reducing the regulatory burden on businesses subject to those remedies, and enabling the CMA to focus on monitoring and enforcing those remedies for which there is still a need.

The remedies in this strategic review include:

  • 2 remedies relating to the award of rail franchises which have been brought back into public ownership

  • 35 divestiture remedies which are over 10 years old and where the only material ongoing obligations are continued separation obligations

The CMA is discharging its duty under Schedule 10 of the Act by publishing a Notice of intention to release (the Notice) such remedies and to consult on that notice for a minimum of 15 days (in the case of the undertakings) or 30 days (in the case of the one order included within the strategic review).

How to respond

Submit your response to srmr@cma.gov.uk

Please include a non-confidential version of your response that you are happy for the CMA to publish alongside the outcome.

Cases included in this review

Documents

Notice of intention to release remedies

PDF, 131 KB, 4 pages

Summary of cases

PDF, 394 KB, 30 pages

Ways to respond

Email to:

srmr@cma.gov.uk

Updates to this page

Published 8 December 2025

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