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UK: Regulator steps up campaign against price-fixing cartels

By  |  February 19, 2018

According to The Telegraph, the UK’s competition watchdog is launching a crackdown on cartels after the success of its first advertising campaign led to a rise in tip-offs about illegal activity. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) paid for advertisements for the first time last year to encourage tip-offs about potential price-fixing activity.

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    Sponsored posts on social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn helped lead to a 30% rise in tip-offs to 375, compared with 288 in 2016. The campaign’s success also meant the CMA secured an extra £2.8 million (US$3 million) from the Government in the Budget to pursue such enforcement work.

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    Stephen Blake, the CMA’s senior director for cartels, said its 2018 campaign encouraged those involved in cartel activity to report their involvement in return for a lenient punishment or immunity and urged witnesses to come forward, with the knowledge their identity would be kept secret.

    The campaign will target a range of industries the CMA believes are at greater risk of cartels forming, including construction, manufacturing and business support services.

    Full Content: The Telegraph

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