Sector Inquiries

Sector inquiries are inquiries into the features and competitive interaction within a particular sector, generally without targeting any specific firm. These can raise a variety of competition issues and are typically broader in scope than other competition matters.

The CMA (and previously the CC) have long used sector inquiries as a key investigative tool, and we have supported UK authorities in several of their investigations, including groceries, private healthcare, and retail banking. The 11th amendment to the German Competition Act (GWB) grants the Bundeskartellamt new powers to conduct sector inquiries and impose remedies.

Our extensive experience working with government authorities on these inquiries enables us to help private clients strengthen their engagement in such broad-ranging investigations.

How we can help

If you are affected by sectory inquiry, speak to us, for example, about

  • commenting on economic arguments and analysis put forward by the authority

  • devising your own economic arguments, economic modelling and econometric analysis

  • analysing and preparing your data following a data request.

Project news

News and Insights
CMA publishes Private Healthcare Remittal Final Report
CMA publishes Private Healthcare Remittal Final Report

We assisted the CMA in their re-evaluation, contributing analyses which were crucial for the CMA’s finding.

Deep dive

News and Insights
Out with the old (Market Investigation), in with the old (Sektoruntersuchung)? Kann Deutschland von den UK-Wettbewerbsbehörden lernen?
Out with the old (Market Investigation), in with the old (Sektoruntersuchung)? Kann Deutschland von den UK-Wettbewerbsbehörden lernen?

Der Referentenentwurf zu 11. GWB-Novelle sieht eine Stärkung von Sektoruntersuchungen in Deutschland vor. Dieser Blogpost diskutiert die praktische Erfahrung der CMA/CC mit diesem Instrument.