CCPC Publishes 2019 Annual Report
July 30, 2020
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has today published our 2019 Annual Report. The report details the work of the CCPC in 2019 and highlights the impactful and varied role which the organisation plays across the economy.
Isolde Goggin Chairperson of the CCPC commented; “Since our establishment over five years ago, the CCPC’s guiding principles have been consistent; to enhance consumer welfare and to promote competition for the benefit of consumers, businesses and the economy as a whole. These principles are at the heart of everything we do and are evident in our work in 2019.
Last year, we undertook proactive and preventative compliance activity to improve businesses’ awareness of how to comply with competition and consumer protection law. This happened at the same time as a robust programme of enforcement activity, including the referral of a potential bid-rigging cartel case to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the first conviction for non-notification of a merger (“gun-jumping”) and a number of consumer protection enforcement actions.
As an organisation, we also continued to adjust and expand to meet increased responsibilities and challenges, particularly in preparation for the impact of Brexit. In doing so we worked alongside our parent Department, Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), and the wider Government, to help consumers and businesses prepare for the changes which Brexit will bring. Even in this snapshot, the breadth and depth of the work of the CCPC is evident.”
In 2019 the CCPC:
- Referred a file to the DPP in relation to potential bid-rigging in the procurement of publicly-funded transport services in certain parts of Munster and Leinster
- Secured Ireland’s first criminal conviction for ‘gun-jumping’ in a merger (non-notified merger) in which there were two guilty pleas
- Took 53 consumer enforcement actions against 45 traders for breaches of consumer protection legislation
- Conducted investigations which resulted in 2 traders being convicted of selling crashed cars, following criminal prosecutions
- Prevented 152,883 products from 30 consignments from entering the Irish market because of safety concerns
- Published important consumer protection guidelines for contracts of care used in long-term residential care services for older people
- Authorised 840 traders as credit intermediaries
- Made 49 merger determinations, four of which required commitments to secure clearance
- Conducted nine awareness campaigns which helped consumers to make empowered decisions
In 2019, 1.8 million visitors to ccpc.ie received information on consumer rights, personal finance or how to comply with competition and consumer protection legislation. A further 41,000 consumers made direct contact with us through our helpline. 3,479 employees in organisations across Ireland benefitted from our Money skills for life financial education programme. We also undertook our first ever TV sponsorship, How to Be Good with Money, which helped consumers budget and manage their money. Each episode had an average viewership of 406,717.
Isolde Goggin Chairperson of the CCPC commented; “2019 was a challenging year for the CCPC but we achieved, as evidenced above, a great deal on behalf of consumers. 2020 is proving to be even more of a challenge as a result of Covid-19 but also as Brexit gets closer. We have adapted over the last few months and retargeted our efforts to ensure that consumers are informed and protected in this new environment. I would like to thank our staff for their commitment, flexibility and dedication to our work which even in the present difficult circumstances continues to have a significant impact across the economy.”
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