The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has today, 23 July 2026, published revised guidance outlining its policy and approach to transparency and information disclosure. This comprehensive update aims to streamline the CMA's general advice on these critical areas into a single, accessible document, enhancing clarity for businesses and the public alike.
The updated guidance provides a high-level overview of the CMA's objectives concerning transparency, how it handles information requests, and its general approach when engaged in investigations and projects. It also details the authority's methods for gathering information from and disclosing it to various parties, including other UK public authorities and overseas regulators with whom the CMA cooperates.
A key driver for this latest revision is the need to ensure accuracy and improve readability, reflecting the CMA's current operational practices. Notably, the guidance now explicitly incorporates the CMA's '4Ps' approach, which stands for pace, predictability, proportionality, and process. This framework underpins the authority's commitment to efficient, consistent, and fair handling of competition and consumer protection matters.
This is not the first update to the CMA's transparency guidance in recent times. A significant earlier revision occurred in December 2024, designed to integrate developments in CMA practice and legislative changes since 2014. Crucially, that update reflected the profound impact of the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 (DMCCA24), which introduced new powers and responsibilities for the CMA in regulating digital markets and enhancing consumer protection.
The consolidation of these various updates into one document, effective from July 2026, is intended to provide a more coherent and user-friendly resource. It underscores the CMA's ongoing commitment to operating openly while also safeguarding commercially sensitive information and maintaining the integrity of its investigations.