Dawn raids by the CMA or the European Commission: a first aid kit

To investigate potentially anti-competitive activities, officials from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) may carry out unannounced inspections at your offices in the UK. The European Commission has equivalent inspection powers in the territories of EU Member States, alongside relevant national competition authorities.

These unannounced visits are commonly referred to as ‘dawn raids’. There has been a resurgence of dawn raids in the UK and across Europe in recent years and this trend is set to continue. Companies are obliged to cooperate with the legitimate exercise of the authorities’ inspection powers.

This first aid kit sets out the key “dos” and “don’ts” of how you should handle a dawn raid by the CMA or the European Commission.

Dawn raids by the CMA or the European Commission: a first aid kit