Significant and wide-ranging new powers of investigation, intervention and enforcement are proposed to be given to the Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), under the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022.
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Consumer protection law in Ireland is mainly enforced by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). On 2 April 2020, the CCPC issued an alert entitled "COVID-19 Business Reminder – Payment Methods".
COVID-19
Public bodies across the globe urgently require essential goods and services to combat the COVID-19 outbreak. The European Commission has published helpful guidance which acknowledges that direct award of contracts to suppliers without tender competitions may be justified at this time.
COVID-19
The European Union has faced various tests in recent years. COVID-19 is testing the EU's responses in both new and well-tried ways. It is useful to take an overview of some of the EU's responses:
COVID-19
The European Commission has found a €200m Irish scheme (the Irish Scheme) to support companies affected by the COVID-19 outbreak to be in conformity with the EU's State aid rules. This is consistent with a number of other recent State aid notifications by other Member States (such as Germany, France, UK and Spain) to the European Commission in the context of the COVID-19 outbreak.
COVID-19
On 25 March 2020, Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) published on its website the European Competition Network's (ECN) joint statement on the relationship between the COVID-19 crisis and competition law.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 crisis poses new challenges for business leaders and general counsel a like. A&L Goodbody's EU, Competition and Procurement group have prepared a guide on how best to deal with some of those challenges.
COVID-19
The COVID-19 outbreak has impacted businesses and governments across the globe. Governments and the European Commission are working at speed to address and support citizens in the current pandemic.
COVID-19
Where a transaction must be notified to the European Commission under the EU Merger Regulation, DG COMP has encouraged the merging parties to delay the submission of the merger notification until further notice. It is also temporarily accepting e-filings and permitting the delivery of hard copy originals to be arranged at a later time.
COVID-19
In Ireland, under the combined EU and Irish competition law rules, it is an offence to enter into an anti-competitive agreement or to abuse a dominant position.
COVID-19Governments around the world are giving financial support to many businesses to cope with the COVID-19 crisis. Businesses receiving this support appreciate the assistance during this troubling but temporary crisis.
EU, Competition & Procurement
Some businesses in Ireland, the UK and various European Union member states may require State Aid and State support to deal with the current crisis.
COVID-19
On 13 March 2020, the European Commission found as being compatible with EU state law a €12m/DKK 91m scheme operated by Denmark to compensate organisers of events for loss or damage caused by cancellations of large public events due to the COVID-19/Coronavirus outbreak.
COVID-19
