The UK’s competition watchdog has unveiled its timetable for reassessing the findings of its inquiry into the UK food retail sector as it looks to push ahead with plans to establish a so-called “competition test” in UK planning.
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Following last year’s inquiry into competition in the UK’s grocery retail market, the Competition Commission (CC) proposed a number of initiatives to curb the powers of the country’s big supermarkets, including a so-called “competition test” to be written into the planning regime.
The CC was forced to re-examine this proposal after the UK’s Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) found in favour of Tesco when the retailer submitted an appeal against the plan.
“The Appeal Tribunal originally upheld Tesco’s appeal on the narrow basis that we should have given greater consideration to how the test would work, its benefits and costs. We are going to go back and do some more work on the various issues CAT raised,” a spokesperson for the CC told just-food.
“The competition test is not necessarily dead in the water and we will be looking very carefully at the CAT’s findings.”
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By GlobalDataIn the week beginning 20 April, the CC will begin a consultation process on its methodology for addressing the issues referred by the CAT.
During the week of 6 July, the CC said it would reveal its findings and provisional decision on remedies. Interested parties will then have until 27 July to respond to these findings.
A supplementary report will be published in late August or early September.
