Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022
Public bill · Government · Presented
It would give Irish competition authorities stronger tools to tackle cartels, bid-rigging, and other anti-competitive behaviour, including a new system of independent adjudication officers who can impose non-criminal fines and remedies. It also raises penalties for serious competition offences, adds a leniency scheme for businesses that come forward, and lets the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission get more information, inspect premises, and use limited surveillance powers in investigations. It would also tighten merger control by allowing some smaller deals to be reviewed if they may affect competition, and by letting authorities block, unwind, or impose conditions on mergers that are implemented too early or without approval.
Formal long title
Bill entitled an Act to give effect to the implementation of Directive (EU) 2019/1 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market; for that purpose to provide for a system of non-criminal enforcement of certain provisions of competition law, including the appointment and empowerment of independent adjudication officers, and the issuing of prohibition notices in response to certain suspected infringements of competition law; to provide for a system of enforcement and non-criminal penalties in relation to certain breaches of competition law, including by the imposition of non-criminal structural and behavioural remedies and certain non-criminal financial sanctions, and to provide for processes by which such non-criminal sanctions may be appealed, remitted or confirmed by the High Court; to provide for a leniency programme in relation to certain undertakings; to provide for cooperation between competition authorities in the European Union and certain bodies in the State; to increase the penalties for certain criminal offences for breach of competition law; to provide additional powers of surveillance to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission in relation to the investigation of certain criminal offences; to amend certain provisions relating to the procedure for notifying mergers to the relevant authorities; for those and other purposes to amend the Competition Act 2002, the Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2014, the Communications Regulation Act 2002, the Consumer Protection Act 2007 and the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009; and to provide for related matters.
Last updated 11 September 2024
- Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Primary
- First StageDáil
- Second StageDáil
- Committee StageDáil
- Report StageDáil
- Fifth StageDáil
- Second StageSeanad
- Committee StageSeanad
- Report StageSeanad
- Fifth StageSeanad Enacted
- EnactedEnacted
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages Seanad
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage Seanad
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages Dáil
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Committee Stage Select Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage Dáil
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) Dáil
- Competition (Amendment) Bill 2022: Referral to Select Committee Dáil