The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has announced a new procedure for settling administrative competition law investigations, effective from April 2025. This procedure allows businesses that admit to breaching competition law to receive reduced financial sanctions, streamlining the investigation process.

Since September 2023, the CCPC has had the authority to impose financial penalties of up to 10% of a business's annual worldwide turnover or €10 million, whichever is greater. The new Settlement Procedure enables the CCPC to negotiate lower penalties for businesses that cooperate and agree to remedial actions to prevent future breaches.

Úna Butler, a member of the CCPC, emphasized that this new procedure enhances the efficiency of competition law enforcement in Ireland. It provides a clear framework for businesses to resolve investigations quickly, thereby reducing costs for both the CCPC and the businesses involved. This approach is expected to promote competitive markets in Ireland.

The introduction of the Settlement Procedure aligns the CCPC with other enforcement authorities both domestically and internationally. Historical data suggests that settlement regimes improve the efficiency of competition law enforcement, benefiting both regulators and businesses by facilitating quicker resolutions.

The CCPC's Settlement Procedure can be applied to any suspected infringement of competition law where the CCPC has opted for the new administrative enforcement route. This development follows a public consultation held in 2024, where stakeholders provided feedback on the draft procedure, influencing the final adoption of the Settlement Procedure.