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Ireland: Nation gears for competition regulator merger

By  |  May 5, 2014

Like the UK, Ireland is bracing for its own merger of competition regulators, reports say.

Ireland’s Competition Authority and its National Consumer Agency will merge and become the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission following the launch of the Competition & Consumer Protection Bill, according to reports.

Despite the merger, four of the five members at the helm of the new regulator will come from the Competition Authority.

While reports say the new watchdog is set to follow competition models that more closely resemble those seen in the US and Australia, some are skeptical of the new authority’s ability to protect consumers, reports say, especially following the Competition Authority’s staffing and resources drain. Further, reports say, the new Commission has yet to find a permanent location in which it can begin operations.

Full content: Irish Examiner

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