the Competition Commission
/ðə ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃn kəmɪʃn/
/ðə ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃn kəmɪʃn/
- an independent organization set up by the British government in 1999 to replace the Monopolies and Mergers Commission. Its job was to prevent unfair trading when single companies had such a large share of the supply of particular goods or services in Britain that there was little or no competition. The Commission investigated cases in which one company took over another or when companies joined together, when asked to do so by another organization, usually the Office of Fair Trading. It then took any action it considered necessary. In 2014 the Competition Commission was replaced by the Competition and Markets Authority.