Competition

More than a dozen adjudication officers have been appointed to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) in a milestone for its enforcement powers. The panel of 16 independent adjudication officers were appointed by the enterprise, tourism and employment minister Peter Burke with eff

Trainee accountants can now more easily switch employers following an intervention by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) has scrapped a policy which required trainees to seek permission from their current employer before interviewing with a

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has published its full 260-page determination on the Phoenix-Cellnex merger, one of the largest value mergers ever approved by the watchdog. The CCPC cleared the acquisition of Cellnex Ireland Limited by Phoenix Tower International in Februar

Five bus and taxi operators accused of anti-competitive practices have gone on trial before the Central Criminal Court. Raymond Heney, Larry Hickey, Noel Browne, Anthony Flynn and Andrew Walsh deny charges under the Competition Act 2002.

McCann FitzGerald lawyers Rosaleen Byrne, Laura Treacy, Amy Brick and Stephen Ryan examine the European Commission's first fine for an incomplete response to an RFI issued pursuant to the Modernisation Regulation. The European Commission has, for the first time, jointly and severally fined a company

Apple has lost a first-of-its-kind class action lawsuit in the UK in a case concerning the "excessive and unfair" charges imposed on app developers. The Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) yesterday handed down judgment in Dr Rachael Kent v Apple Inc. and Apple Distribution International Ltd [2025] CA

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has cleared the proposed acquisition of Perry’s Cash and Carry Limited by BWG Foods Unlimited Company (BWG) subject to legally-binding commitments. BWG is involved in the wholesale distribution of food and grocery goods to its affiliate

A court in the US has decided against ordering Google to divest its Chrome and Android business in a competition case concerning its search monopoly. The US Department of Justice launched the long-running legal proceedings during the final months of the first Trump administration in October 2020, su

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has cleared the proposed acquisition of BT Datacentres Ireland by Equinix (Ireland) following a full phase 2 investigation. Equinix operates six data centres in Dublin, which provide digital infrastructure for cloud, IT, finance, content and

Clark Hill lawyers Michael Laszlo and Declan McNulty consider different approaches in the EU and the US to sustainability and competition. The European Commission issued its first opinion regarding the compatibility of a sustainability agreement with competition rules for the agricultural sector on

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) saw a 21 per cent increase in merger notifications last year, according to its latest annual report. The 2024 annual report details the investigations, enforcement actions and public awareness campaigns carried out during the CCPC's 10th

The EU has begun consulting on the most significant changes to its competition law enforcement framework in over two decades. The European Commission yesterday launched both a call for evidence and a public consultation inviting stakeholders to give feedback on the future of the EU procedures for th

Legislative plans to implement new EU media freedom rules in Ireland have been set out by the government. The Media Regulation Bill will implement the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which puts in place new rules to protect media pluralism and independence and seeks to ensure that media can opera

The proposed acquisition of CG Hotels by Dalata has been approved by the competition watchdog, subject to legally binding commitments. Dalata currently has a portfolio of 32 hotels in the State, the majority of which are operated under its ‘Clayton’ or ‘Maldron’ brands. Withi

Google is facing a £25 billion legal claim in the UK over allegations it abused its dominant position in the online search advertising market. The tech giant is accused of making agreements with mobile device manufacturers to make Google Search the default search engine on devices, which has p