Brussels and the UK are planning to work more closely together on antitrust enforcement through sharing information and investigations, marking a rare bright spot in their post-Brexit relationship.
According to The Financial Times, under the plans being negotiated at government level, both sides will be able to sit in on confidential oral hearings with companies under scrutiny as they co-ordinate action against behavior harming rivals.
They will also coordinate requests for evidence from companies suspected of anti-competitive behavior. The proposals are being reviewed by the EU’s member states to give Brussels the green light to work with the UK in tightly-knit arrangements.
With the first six months of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement marred by tensions over fishing rights and new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland, the plan will offer hope that London and Brussels can develop new ways of working more closely with each other. In a further sign of improving relations, the EU last month agreed to extend grace periods on checks for chilled meats entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.
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