The development of British competition law. A complete overhaul and harmonization

The need for reform of UK competition law

By the late 1980s informed opinion in the United Kingdom was unanimous in

advocating radical reform of UK national competition law. The general view was

that since, for better or worse, EC competition law had direct effect in the United

Kingdom and businessmen therefore necessarily ought to understand at least the

---

24

broad outlines of EC competition law, UK national law had better be modelled on

the EC rules.

However, there was widespread dissatisfaction in the United Kingdom, as in other

Member States, with the EC Commission’s procedures.

Despite the general recognition of the need for reform of UK national competition

law, the Conservative Government failed to bring forward amending legislation and

it was left to the new Labour Government, which was elected in May 1997, to do so.

The Competition Bill was one of the first pieces of legislation that new Labour

introduced and in November 1998 the Bill became law as the Competition Act 1998.