Businesses in supply chains are preparing for significant changes to UK competition law regulating vertical agreements. Vertical agreements are those between parties on different levels of the supply chain, such as between a manufacturer and distributor, or between a wholesaler and retailer.

As most businesses are in a supply chain, and therefore parties to a vertical agreement, the changes are important.

The new law, which will come into effect on 1 June 2022, will help UK companies do business while maintaining strong protections for consumers.

Currently, the UK has retained EU rules that exempt businesses from competition law in certain circumstances. The UK government has received expert advice from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority, which recommended a new, bespoke competition law exemption for the UK, replacing the retained EU rules, which expire on 31 May 2022.

Read more: New law to make doing business simpler while protecting consumers

Please get in touch with your usual BM Connect  contact for further assistance or email info@bmconnect.co.uk.