24 February 2026 23:00 UTC · European Commission · EU Commission Press Release · Source · Email X Link

European Commission announces EU and UK competition cooperation agreement

Key points

EU and UK sign Competition Cooperation Agreement
Agreement sets notification, coordination and confidentiality rules

TL;DR

The European Commission and the United Kingdom signed the EU‑UK Competition Cooperation Agreement in Brussels to set a framework for cooperation on competition matters after the UK's withdrawal from the EU.
The agreement provides for mutual notification of significant antitrust and merger investigations, coordination between authorities, and confidentiality protections requiring company consent before sharing confidential information.
The agreement will enter into force after ratification by both the EU and the UK; the Council of the EU must adopt a decision and the European Parliament must give consent.

Original text

European Commission - Press release EU and UK agree to cooperate closely on competition matters Brussels, 25 February 2026 Today, the European Commission and the United Kingdom signed the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement . The agreement sets a new and clear framework for cooperation on competition matters between, on the one side, the Commission and EU Member State competition authorities, and, on the other side, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. It is the first dedicated EU-UK agreement fully focused on competition cooperation following the withdrawal of the UK from the Union. The agreement lays down clear principles of cooperation to ensure smooth interactions between the EU and UK on competition matters. For example, the EU and UK will notify each other of significant antitrust and merger investigations and coordinate efforts between them when necessary. In addition, the agreement sets out the duty of the competition authorities to protect the confidentiality of shared information. The consent of the companies that provided the confidential information will remain necessary before sharing it between competition authorities. The Competition Cooperation Agreement will be a 'supplementing agreement' to the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement , which provides in broader terms the basis for competition cooperation and coordination, while foreseeing the possibility to enter into a separate agreement on competition cooperation. By signing the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement today, the EU and the UK take an additional step in implementing the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Next steps The agreement will enter into force after both the EU and the UK have finalised their ratification procedures. The Council of the EU is now invited to adopt a decision to conclude the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement, which will also require the consent of the European Parliament. The decision by the Council will mark the completion of the EU interinstitutional process. Background The EU has cooperation agreements on competition matters in place with the USA (1991), Canada (1999), Japan (2003), South Korea (2009) and Switzerland (2013) . These agreements set out how the EU can cooperate with competition authorities from different jurisdictions. For more information Bilateral relations on competition issues IP/26/454 Quote(s): "It is a privilege to sign this agreement today on behalf of the European Union, reinforcing the current good cooperation on competition matters between the Commission and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. The agreement provides a clear framework for cooperation between the EU and the UK on competition matters, and reaffirms our shared commitment to maintaining fair and competitive markets to the benefit of consumers, businesses and innovation. It is also the first competition cooperation agreement that also covers cooperation between EU Member State competition authorities and the UK's Competition and Markets Authority, reflecting the close and multi-dimensional links between EU and UK markets." Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice-President for Clean, Just and Competitive Transition Press contacts: Ricardo CARDOSO (+32 2 29 80100) Paula Clara RITTER-MOSCHUTZ (+32 2 29 64083) General public inquiries: Europe Direct by phone 00 800 67 89 10 11 or by email Related media EC press point by European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa RIBERA and the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter KYLE, on the signing of the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement EC press point by European Commission Executive Vice-President Teresa RIBERA and the United Kingdom Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter KYLE, on the signing of the EU-UK Competition Cooperation Agreement

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