United Kingdom: Competition and Markets Authority released guidance on collaborating with other businesses

On 15 August 2025, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) released guidance on collaborating with other businesses, clarifying measures under the Competition Act (CA98), including the Chapter I prohibition on anticompetitive agreements and the Chapter II prohibition on abuse of a dominant position. The guidance defines horizontal agreements between competitors or potential competitors and vertical agreements between businesses at different levels of the supply chain, providing examples of common horizontal collaborations such as research and development, production, specialisation, purchasing, commercialisation, information exchange, and standardisation. It explains that some agreements may be exempt from the Chapter I prohibition under section 9 of the CA98 if they meet efficiency and benefit criteria or may fall within block exemptions covering specific types of collaboration, including research and development, specialisation, licensing of technology rights, and certain vertical agreements, provided all conditions are met. The guidance also notes that collaborations leading to mergers may require investigation under UK merger control rules and directs businesses to further CMA guidance on horizontal and vertical agreements, joint ventures, and sector-specific arrangements such as environmental sustainability agreements, combination therapies, and higher education.