The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published the final reports from its stakeholder and business perceptions surveys, conducted across 2025 and 2026. These comprehensive studies provide a detailed look into how the UK's primary competition regulator is viewed by the businesses and organisations it affects, offering crucial insights into its operational effectiveness and public understanding.
The surveys, which gathered feedback from a broad spectrum of respondents, aimed to gauge awareness of the CMA's role, its impact on markets, and the perceived fairness and transparency of its processes. Initial analysis of the reports indicates a mixed bag of perceptions, with some stakeholders expressing strong confidence in the CMA's ability to protect consumers and promote competition, while others highlighted areas where communication or engagement could be improved.
For businesses, the surveys delved into their understanding of competition law, their experiences with CMA investigations, and their views on the regulator's influence on market behaviour. These findings are particularly important as they reflect the operational reality for many UK companies, from small enterprises to large corporations, who must navigate the regulatory landscape set by the CMA.
Stakeholder perceptions, meanwhile, covered a broader range of groups including consumer bodies, legal professionals, and industry associations. Their feedback is vital for the CMA to understand its broader impact on the UK economy and society, and to ensure its strategic direction aligns with the public interest. The reports are expected to be a key reference point for the CMA's ongoing self-assessment and future policy development.
These annual surveys are a standard practice for the CMA, providing an evidence base for continuous improvement. The data collected over 2025 and 2026 will undoubtedly inform the regulator's strategic priorities for the coming years, potentially leading to adjustments in how it communicates its decisions, engages with the business community, and enforces competition law across various sectors.