Notícias

CMA identifies multiple concerns in vets market

The CMA has today published its main concerns following an initial review into the veterinary sector.From:Competition and Markets AuthorityPublished12 March 2024

• CMA provisionally decides it should launch a formal Market Investigation.
• Initial review prompts over 56,000 responses from public and vet industry.

The review by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) highlights multiple concerns in the market, including:

• Consumers may not be given enough information to enable them to choose the best veterinary practice or the right treatment for their needs.
• Concentrated local markets, in part driven by sector consolidation, may be leading to weak competition in some areas.
• Large corporate groups may have incentives to act in ways which reduce choice and weaken competition.
• Pet owners might be overpaying for medicines or prescriptions.
• The regulatory framework is outdated and may no longer be fit for purpose.

The CMA has provisionally decided that it should launch a formal Market Investigation focused on its provisional analysis of the issues in the sector and is now consulting on this proposal.  

A Market Investigation enables the CMA to investigate its concerns in full and to intervene directly in markets if it finds that competition is not working well. Along with compelling those under investigation to provide information, it gives the CMA access to a wide range of legally enforceable remedies, such as mandating the provision of certain information to consumers, imposing maximum prescription fees and ordering the sale or disposal of a business or assets.

Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA, said:

We launched our review of the veterinary sector last September because this is a critical market for the UK’s 16 million pet owners. The unprecedented response we received from the public and veterinary professionals shows the strength of feeling on this issue is high and why we were right to look into this.

We have heard concerns from those working in the sector about the pressures they face, including acute staff shortages, and the impact this has on individual professionals. But our review has identified multiple concerns with the market that we think should be investigated further.

These include pet owners finding it difficult to access basic information like price lists and prescription costs – and potentially overpaying for medicines. We are also concerned about weak competition in some areas, driven in part by sector consolidation, and the incentives for large corporate groups to act in ways which may reduce competition and choice.

Given these strong indications of potential concern, it is time to put our work on a formal footing. We have provisionally decided to launch a market investigation because that’s the quickest route to enable us to take direct action, if needed.

The CMA review

The CMA launched its review of the sector in September 2023 and issued a Call For Information (CFI) as part of that. This brought 56,000 responses – including 45,000 from the general public and 11,000 responses from those working in the vet industry which includes around a fifth of UK vets and veterinary nurses. The CMA also engaged extensively with, and secured feedback from, vet practices, industry bodies, charities, and others to understand the issues in the provision of these services.

Although the call for information is not statistically representative of pet owners or the vet industry, the level of response demonstrates how important this issue is to millions of pet owners and those working in the sector.

The CMA’s concerns

Based on the evidence gathered so far, the CMA has 5 key concerns that it proposes to investigate further:

Consumers may not be given enough information to enable them to choose the best veterinary practice or the right treatment for their needs.

• Most vet practices do not display prices on their website – of those practices checked, over 80% had no pricing information online, even for the most basic services. Pet owners tend not to shop around between vet practices and assume prices will be similar, although that is not always the case.
• People are not always informed of the cost of treatment before agreeing to it – around one fifth of respondents to the  CFI said that they were not provided with any cost information before agreeing to tests, around one in 10 said they were not provided with cost information before their pet had surgery, and around half said they were not informed about costs before agreeing to out of hours treatment.
• A company can own multiple vet practices in a local area without making that clear – for example, only 4 out of 6 of the largest groups don’t change the name or branding when they take over an independently owned vet practice. This means pet owners are not always comparing competitors when choosing a vet practice.

Concentrated local markets, in part driven by sector consolidation, may be leading to weak competition in some areas.

Market concentration measures how many competitors operate in a particular market – the fewer firms operating in a market, the more concentrated it is.

• In 2013, around 10% of vet practices belonged to large groups, but that share is now almost 60%, and many of the large groups have expressed an intention to continue expanding their business through acquisition of independently owned practices.
• To illustrate this another way, since 2013 1,500 of the 5,000 vet practices in the UK have been acquired by the 6 large corporate groups (CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners).
• This may reduce the number of business models in locations where most or all of the first opinion practices are owned by one large corporate group, giving less choice to consumers because they tend to choose practices close to home.

Large integrated groups may have incentives to act in ways which reduce choice and weaken competition.

Given the significant and ongoing growth of large corporate groups, the CMA is concerned that:

• The large, integrated corporate groups (especially those whose business models include significant investment in advanced equipment) may concentrate on providing more sophisticated, higher cost treatments, meaning that consumers are less able to access simpler, lower cost treatments even if they would prefer that option.
• To varying extents, the large vet groups have also bought businesses which offer related services such as specialised referral centres, out of hours care, diagnostic labs and/or crematoria. These large groups may have the incentive and ability to keep provision of these related services within the group, potentially leading to reduced choice, higher prices, lower quality and exit of independent competitors.

Pet owners might be overpaying for medicines or prescriptions.

• Vets must use signs in reception or treatment rooms to tell customers that they can get a prescription for medicine and buy it elsewhere, but the CMA is concerned that these may not be effective. While it can be convenient to buy a medicine directly from the vet as part of a consultation, around 25% of pet owners did not know that getting a prescription filled elsewhere was an option – meaning they are missing out on potential savings, even with the prescription fee.
• Some vet practices may make up to a quarter of their income selling medicines – so there may be little incentive to make pet owners aware of alternatives.
• The current regulatory regime may contribute to concerns by restricting veterinary practices’ ability to source cheaper medicines online.

The regulatory framework is outdated and may no longer be fit for purpose.

• The main regulation in the industry dates from 1966, before non-vets were able to own vet practices. It relates to individual practitioners, not practice owners or vet practices as businesses. This means that the statutory regulator, the RCVS, has limited leverage over the commercial and consumer-facing aspects of veterinary businesses, for example how prices are communicated or whether there is transparency about ownership of vet practices or related services.
• The RCVS has put in place a Practice Standards Scheme which applies to the vet practice rather than individual vets. Only 69% of eligible practices have signed up to this voluntary scheme, meaning that almost a third of the market has not committed to this approach.
• The provisional view is that outcomes for consumers could be improved if regulatory requirements and/or elements of best practice could be monitored or enforced more effectively.

Next steps

The CMA has launched a 4-week consultation to seek views from the sector on the proposal to launch a market investigation. The consultation closes on 11 April 2023 at which point it will consider the responses received and a decision will be made on how to proceed.

For further information visit the veterinary services case page. This includes the consultation document which sets out more details and statistics on today’s update.

Notes to editors:

1. Under section 131 of the Enterprise Act 2002, the CMA may make a market investigation reference to its Chair for the constitution of a Market Reference Group where it has reasonable grounds for suspecting that any feature, or combination of features, of a market in the United Kingdom (UK) for goods or services, prevents, restricts or distorts competition in connection with the supply or acquisition of any goods or services in the UK or a part of the UK.
2. In a market investigation, a Market Reference Group is the independent panel that is required to decide whether there is a prevention, restriction, or distortion of competition. If it does identify such an adverse effect on competition, then it will consider what, if any, appropriate action should be taken to address this.
3. Due to the self-selecting nature of the call for information, the 56,000 responses received are not statistically representative of the UK.
4. The 6 largest veterinary groups are: CVS, IVC, Linnaeus, Medivet, Pets at Home and VetPartners
5. The CMA’s decision to consult on a market investigation is based on a range of evidence: a call for information on the CMA’s website which attracted around 56,000 responses; qualitative market research with pet owners as well as broad engagement across the sector, including with all 6 large corporate suppliers of veterinary services,  a number of independent veterinary practices, industry regulators, industry bodies, government agencies, the animal charity sector, and pet insurance companies.
6. The CMA would like to hear from those who may be substantially impacted by its proposal to conduct a market investigation by 11 April 2024, particularly if they have views on any of the following:
   • whether consumers are given enough information to enable them to choose the best veterinary practice or the right treatment for their needs
   • whether concentrated local markets may be leading to weak competition in some areas
   • whether large integrated groups may have incentives to act in ways which reduce choice and weaken competition
   • whether pet owners might be overpaying for medicines or prescriptions
   • whether the regulatory framework remains fit for purpose
7. For more information visit the CMA’s vets consultation page.
8. The figures on making pricing available on websites is based on the CMA’s review of over 2368 websites in total: 1399 websites for practices belonging to the large corporate groups and 969 websites belonging to independent practices.
9. All media enquiries should be directed to the CMA press office by email on press@cma.gov.uk, or by phone on 020 3738 6460.

Referral of the proposed Green Freeports in Scotland Subsidy Scheme by Scottish Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The Subsidy Advice Unit (SAU) has accepted a request for a report from Scottish Government (SG) and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) concerning its proposed Green Freeports in Scotland Subsidy Scheme.From:Competition and Markets AuthorityPublished12 March 2024Case type:SAU referralCase state:OpenMarket sector:Not applicableOpened:11 March 2024

Contents

1. Administrative timetable
2. Request from Scottish Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
3. Information about the scheme provided by Scottish Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
   1. Information for third parties
   2. Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission
4. Contacts

Administrative timetable

Request from Scottish Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

11 March 2024: The SAU has accepted a request for a report from SG and DLUHC concerning the proposed Green Freeports in Scotland Subsidy Scheme. This request relates to a Subsidy Scheme of Particular Interest.

The SAU will prepare a report, which will provide an evaluation of SG and DLUHC’s assessment of whether the scheme complies with the subsidy control requirements (Assessment of Compliance). The SAU will complete its report within 30 working days.

Information about the scheme provided by Scottish Government and Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

The Scottish Government (SG) and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) are proposing to create a Subsidy Scheme to help achieve the strategic ambitions for Green Freeports in Scotland. Specifically, this will involve public authorities awarding subsidies to qualifying enterprises in Green Freeport locations to:

• promote regeneration and high-quality job creation – lead objective
• promote decarbonisation and a just transition to a net zero economy
• establish hubs for global trade and investment
• foster an innovative environment

Following a competitive bidding exercise, in January 2023 Forth Green Freeport and Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport were selected. Green Freeports are designed to boost innovation and inclusive growth within communities, creating new green jobs, upholding the highest environmental protections, and supporting economic transformation.

The Green Freeports Subsidy Scheme intends to use a combination of reserved and devolved tax levers and funding to remove barriers to private sector investment in port locations and help to address entrenched inequality and economic disadvantage.

Under the Subsidy Scheme qualifying enterprises will be able to receive support through the following measures:

• Land and Buildings Transaction Tax relief
• non-domestic rates relief
• first year capital allowance on plant and machinery
• zero rate of secondary National Insurance contributions for employees
• enhanced structures and buildings allowances
• seed capital funding

All the subsidies are limited in duration with specific terms and conditions set out in the relevant guidance. The Subsidy Scheme is designed to achieve transformational change in Green Freeport locations. The benefits include projected growth in economic activity through new business formation and the expansion of existing businesses, which will create an increased number of jobs and raise average private sector wages. SG and DLUHC have determined that the Green Freeports Subsidy Scheme is a Subsidy Scheme of Particular Interest as there is the potential for the Scheme to provide subsidies of greater than £10m to qualifying enterprises.

SG and DLUHC have stated that whilst it is not possible to establish a definitive ‘budget’ for this scheme ahead of time, that based on Office for Budget Responsibility costings this can be approximated as £118m (£50m in seed capital, £68m in tax reliefs).

Information for third parties

If you wish to comment on matters relevant to the SAU’s evaluation of the Assessment of Compliance concerning the proposed Green Freeports in Scotland Subsidy Scheme please send your comments before 5pm on the date stipulated in the timetable above. For guidance on representations relevant to the Assessment of Compliance, see the section on reporting period and transparency in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.

Please send your submissions to us at ScotlandGreenFreeports2024@cma.gov.uk, copying the public authorities: greenfreeports@gov.scot and UKFreeports@levellingup.gov.uk

Please also provide a contact address and explain in what capacity you are making the submission (for example, as an individual or a representative of a business or organisation).

Notes to third parties wishing to make a submission

The SAU will only take your submission into account if it can be shared with SG and DLUHC. The SAU will send a copy of your submission to SG and DLUHC together with its report. This is to allow the public authority to take account of the submission in its decision as to whether to grant or modify the scheme or its assessment. We therefore ask that you provide express consent for your full and unredacted submission to be shared. We also encourage you to share your submission directly with SG and DLUHC using the email addresses provided above.

The SAU may use the information you provide in its published report. Therefore, you should indicate in your submission whether any specified parts of it are commercially confidential. If the SAU wishes to refer in its published report to material identified as confidential, it will contact you in advance.

For further details on confidentiality of third party submissions, see identifying confidential information in the Operation of the subsidy control functions of the Subsidy Advice Unit.

Contacts

• SAU project team: ScotlandGreenFreeports2024@cma.gov.uk
• CMA press team: 020 3738 6460 or press@cma.gov.uk

Published 12 March 2024

Consultation on the proposal to make a market investigation reference into veterinary services for household pets in the UK

From:Competition and Markets AuthorityPublished12 March 2024Get emails about this page

Summary

A consultation on whether to launch a market investigation into the veterinary services market for household pets.

This consultation closes at
5pm on 11 April 2024

Consultation description

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is consulting on whether to launch a Market Investigation Reference (MIR) into the veterinary services market for household pets.

An MIR enables the CMA to investigate its concerns in full and to intervene directly in markets if it finds that competition is not working well. As well as compelling those under investigation to provide information, it gives the CMA access to a wide range of legally enforceable remedies, such as requiring provision of certain information to consumers and the sale or disposal of a business or assets.

This consultation follows the CMA’s market review of veterinary services for household pets in the UK in September 2023.

Based on the evidence gathered so far, there are 5 key areas that the CMA proposes investigating further:

• consumers may not be given enough information to enable them to choose the best veterinary practice or the right treatment for their needs
• concentrated local markets, in part driven by sector consolidation, may be leading to weak competition in some areas
• large, integrated groups may have incentives to act in ways which reduce choice and weaken competition
• pet owners might be overpaying for medicines or prescriptions
• the regulatory framework is outdated and may no longer be fit for purpose

• Press release: CMA identifies multiple concerns in vets market

Consultation on market investigation reference video (YouTube)

Documents

Veterinary services for household pets in the UK: Consultation on proposed market investigation reference

PDF, 973 KB, 60 pages

Ways to respond

Email to:

Vetservicesreview@cma.gov.uk

Consulta pública: Reglamento para la Ejecución del Programa de Clemencia

La Comisión Nacional de Defensa de la Competencia (CNDC) somete a consulta del público un proyecto de reglamento para ejecutar el Programa de Clemencia incorporado en la Ley 27.442, sancionada en 2018

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Publicado el viernes 08 de marzo de 2024

El proyecto del Reglamento para la Ejecución del Programa de Clemencia estipula las etapas, el procedimiento y los requisitos que deberá cumplir una persona humana o jurídica que haya incurrido, o esté incurriendo, en una conducta de las enumeradas en el artículo 2º de la Ley 27.442 de Defensa de la Competencia (LDC), para acogerse al beneficio de exoneración o reducción de la sanción correspondiente, según se encuentra previsto en los artículos 60 y 61 de la LDC y su decreto reglamentario.

Las conductas anticompetitivas señaladas en el artículo 2º de la LDC son aquellas tipificadas como absolutamente restrictivas de la competencia, y se circunscriben a aquellas prácticas concertadas que incluyen los acuerdos entre competidores para fijar precios, repartirse el mercado, restringir la oferta y/o arreglar posturas en licitaciones o subastas.

El proyecto de reglamento establece la posibilidad de realizar consultas sobre disponibilidad de marcadores, la forma y el contenido de la solicitud de marcador como así también de la solicitud de beneficio. Asimismo, reglamenta tanto el deber de confidencialidad en el procedimiento, como el deber de cooperación de los solicitantes.

Se espera que el Reglamento para la Ejecución del Programa de Clemencia permita una mayor participación en el programa, con la expectativa de que este se transforme en un instrumento de relevancia para la CNDC en su tarea de detección, investigación y sanción de carteles.

En el siguiente enlace se puede consultar el reglamento en su versión en español y en inglés.

Las personas y entidades interesadas en emitir comentarios podrán hacerlo vía correo electrónico a cndc@produccion.gob.ar; o bien directamente en la sede de la CNDC, sita en Avda. Presidente Julio A. Roca 694, CP 1067, de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires. El documento estará disponible para comentarios hasta el 22 de abril de 2024.

Agradecemos todos los aportes destinados a fortalecer la política de competencia y la efectiva implementación de la normativa aplicable.

English

Português

Français

La CNMC investiga posibles prácticas anticompetitivas en el mercado de la distribución de medicamentos, productos sanitarios y de parafarmacia

12 Mar 2024 | Competencia Nota de prensa

• Analiza la existencia de posibles prácticas de abuso de posición dominante.
• Entre los días 26 y 29 de febrero 2024 la CNMC realizó inspecciones en las sedes de una entidad del sector farmacéutico. 

La CNMC (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) está investigando posibles prácticas anticompetitivas en el mercado de la distribución de medicamentos, productos sanitarios y de parafarmacia. Estas prácticas consistirían en una estrategia de vinculación comercial para la captación, fidelización y retención a medio/largo plazo de las oficinas de farmacia.

Entre los días 26 y 29 de febrero 2024, la CNMC realizó inspecciones en las sedes de una entidad del sector farmacéutico en el marco de una investigación abierta por la presunta existencia de prácticas anticompetitivas en este mercado. En caso de confirmarse, podrían constituir una infracción de abuso de posición dominante prevista en el artículo 2 de la Ley de Defensa de la Competencia (LDC).

La inspección es un paso preliminar en el proceso de investigación de las supuestas conductas anticompetitivas y no prejuzga el resultado de la investigación ni la culpabilidad de la entidad. 

En el caso de que como resultado de la inspección se encontrasen indicios de prácticas anticompetitivas prohibidas por la Ley de Defensa de la Competencia, se procedería a la incoación formal de un expediente sancionador. 

Estas prácticas podrían ser consideradas como una infracción muy grave de la ley de competencia, que puede conllevar multas de hasta el 10 % del volumen de negocio total de las empresas infractoras en el ejercicio anterior al de imposición de la multa.

Documento no oficial destinado a los medios de comunicación y que no vincula a la CNMC.  Reproducción permitida solo si se cita a la fuente.

 Nota de prensa 

 Press release 

Fonte: CNMC

Casos

CADE

Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007543/2023-77

Requerentes: Film Trading Importação e Representação Ltda., PackFilm US, LLC, Terphane Ltda. e Terphane LLC.

Com fulcro no §1º do art. 50, da Lei nº 9.784, de 1999, integro as razões da Nota Técnica nº 2/2024/CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE (SEI 1359657) à presente decisão, inclusive como sua motivação, para, nos termos do artigo 56 da Lei 12.529, de 2011, declarar o Ato de Concentração nº 08700.007543/2023-77 complexo, e determinar a realização das diligências indicadas na Nota Técnica nº 2/2024/CGAA3/SGA1/SG/CADE. Esta Superintendência resguarda a sua faculdade de posteriormente, se for o caso, requerer ao Tribunal Administrativo do Cade a dilação do prazo de que trata o artigo 56, parágrafo único, e o artigo 88, § 9º da Lei nº 12.529, de 2011.

FTC

Kroger Company/Albertsons Companies, Inc., In the Matter of

The Federal Trade Commission sued to block the largest proposed supermarket merger in U.S. history—Kroger Company’s $24.6 billion acquisition of the Albertsons Companies, Inc.—alleging that the deal is anticompetitive.

Type of Action

Administrative

Last Updated

March 7, 2024

Docket Number

9428

Case Status

Pending

Comissão Europeia

MITSUI / OSAKA GAS / RWE KK / JV

Merger

M.11475

Last decision date: 11.03.2024 Super simplified procedure

INVESTINDUSTRIAL / FASSI HOLDING

Merger

M.11471

Last decision date: 11.03.2024 Super simplified procedure

ADC – Portugal

Autorité de la Concurrence

Consultation publique en cours

Intelligence artificielle générative : l’Autorité s’autosaisit pour avis et lance une consultation publique jusqu’au vendredi 22 mars 

Au vu des enjeux importants et de l’évolution très rapide du secteur de l’intelligence artificielle générative, l’Autorité de la concurrence a décidé de s’autosaisir pour avis afin d’analyser son fonctionnement concurrentiel. 
Les acteurs sont invités à répondre aux questions formulées par l’Autorité et à adresser leurs réponses avant le vendredi 22 mars à consultationavisiagenerative@autoritedelaconcurrence.fr

• Communiqué de presse
• Consultation publique relative à la saisine d’office pour avis portant sur le secteur de l’intelligence artificielle générative

Projet de communiqué relatif aux orientations informelles de l’Autorité en matière de développement durable

Le développement durable constitue l’une des priorités de l’Autorité, inscrite à sa feuille de route 2023-2024. L’Autorité souhaite accompagner les entreprises désireuses de poursuivre des projets dans ce domaine. Dans ce but, elle soumet à consultation publique jusqu’au 23 février 2024 un projet de communiqué qui vise à leur permettre de bénéficier d’orientations informelles quant à la compatibilité de leurs projets avec les règles de concurrence. Les contributions sont à envoyer à : developpement-durable@autoritedelaconcurrence.fr

• Communiqué de presse
• Projet de communiqué relatif aux orientations informelles de l’Autorité en matière de développement durable

CMA

Pharmacy2U / Lloyds Direct merger inquiry

• • 12 March 2024
  • Competition and Markets Authority case

T&L Sugars/Tereos merger inquiry

• The CMA is investigating the anticipated acquisition by T&L Sugars Limited of the UK packing and distribution site and business-to-consumer activities of Tereos United Kingdom and Ireland Limited from Tereos SCA.
  • Updated: 11 March 2024

Spreadex / Sporting Index merger inquiry

• The CMA is investigating the completed acquisition by Spreadex Limited of the B2C business of Sporting Index Limited.
  • Updated: 11 March 2024