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Block exemptions

Updated 20 March 2025

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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/block-exemptions/block-exemptions

Block exemption regulations exempt certain types of agreements from the prohibition against anti-competitive agreements in Chapter 1 of the Competition Act 1998.

On or before their expiry date, the Secretary of State may vary, revoke or replace the block exemptions, acting in consultation with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).

1. List of block exemptions and expiry dates

Category of exemption Expiry date
Public transport ticketing schemes 28 February 2026
Technology transfer agreements 30 April 2026
Vertical agreements 1 June 2028
Motor vehicle vertical agreements 31 May 2029
Research and development agreements (horizontal co-operation) 31 December 2035
Specialisation agreements (horizontal co-operation) 31 December 2035
Rail, road and inland waterways transport No expiry date

2. Background

Seven EU block exemptions were assimilated in UK law by the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 at the end of the transition period. At that point, the UK also had one domestic block exemption order which covers local transport ticketing schemes.

The Secretary of State has the power to:

  • make a domestic block exemption order[footnote 1]
  • vary or revoke the assimilated block exemptions regulations[footnote 2]

The CMA must make a recommendation to or, in the case of variation or revocation where no recommendation has been made, be consulted by the Secretary of State before these powers are exercised.

The CMA reviews each block exemption in turn according to their expiry dates. So far, 4 of the original 7 assimilated block exemption regulations have been replaced on expiry by domestic block exemption orders[footnote 3]. The CMA is currently reviewing the block exemptions on technology transfer and public transport ticketing schemes ahead of expiry in 2026. The CMA website has more information on the status of live block exemptions reviews.

2.1 Contact

For queries about the policy email competitionpolicy@businessandtrade.gov.uk.

2.2 References

  1. Paragraphs 3 and 4 of Part 2 of, and Part 2 to Schedule 4 to, the Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (amended by the Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020). ↩

  2. Section 10A of the Competition Act 1998 as inserted by the 2019 Regulations. ↩

  3. In February 2024, the CMA published its final decision that it would not recommend replacement of the assimilated Liner Shipping Consortia Block Exemption Regulation (CBER) to the Secretary of State. The block exemption expired automatically in April 2024 without replacement. ↩

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