Insights

Australian and New Zealand Competition and Consumer Law Update

Australian and New Zealand Competition and Consumer Law Update

Message from the Editors

The holiday and new year period was not a quiet one in Australian competition law. Many of the recommendations from an extensive assessment of the Australian competition law were implemented. In this edition of Jones Day's Australian and New Zealand Competition Law Update, we discuss the implementation of these changes, in particular the ACCC's regime for obtaining merger clearances and its statutory information gathering powers.

The Australian federal government announced in December 2017 that the ACCC will undertake an inquiry into digital platforms. The ACCC's function when undertaking an inquiry such as the digital media inquiry enables the ACCC to review an industry without the constraints of a particular set of facts such as an allegation of conduct or proposed acquisition. The ACCC's inquiry will not be finalised until 2019, but will provide a timely opportunity for market participants to highlight emerging issues.

Also within this edition, we look at a recent price fixing case, highlighting the increasingly active regime of the New Zealand regulator.

Read the full Australian and New Zealand Competition and Consumer Law Update.

Insights by Jones Day should not be construed as legal advice on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general information purposes only and may not be quoted or referred to in any other publication or proceeding without the prior written consent of the Firm, to be given or withheld at our discretion. To request permission to reprint or reuse any of our Insights, please use our “Contact Us” form, which can be found on our website at www.jonesday.com. This Insight is not intended to create, and neither publication nor receipt of it constitutes, an attorney-client relationship. The views set forth herein are the personal views of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Firm.