Ireland: Antitrust/Competition Law

The Court of Justice of the European Union has drawn a critical distinction between company-owned systems and employee-owned devices in competition investigations, establishing that workplace communications retain Charter protection regardless of their business nature.

Matheson has contributed to The Global Legal Post's Law Over Borders Merger Control Law Guide, offering jurisdiction-specific insights into merger control regimes worldwide. Calum Warren and Simon Shinkwin provide a comprehensive overview of Ireland's merger control framework, covering everything from jurisdictional scope to enforcement mechanisms.

The Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled on the extent of competition authorities' powers to seize business emails during antitrust investigations without prior judicial authorization. This landmark decision addresses fundamental questions about the balance between effective competition law enforcement and the protection of corporate communications under EU fundamental rights law.

On 2 June 2025, the European Commission imposed fines totalling €329 million on Delivery Hero and Glovo for their participation in a four-year cartel in the online food delivery sector.

Following commencement of the Competition (Amendment) Act 2022 ("2022 Act"), the enforcement powers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission ("CCPC")...

A new era has begun. From now on, Irish enforcers may recommend fines for EU and Irish competition rules breaches.

The Agri-Food Regulator's 2026 supplier survey reveals evolving patterns in trading relationships within Ireland's agri-food sector, with a notable decline in reported Unfair Trading Practices but persistent concerns about supplier reluctance to report violations. How are businesses responding to enhanced regulatory oversight, and what compliance challenges lie ahead as new information-gathering powers take effect?

Ireland's proposed Media Regulation Bill introduces sweeping reforms to the country's media merger regime, expanding regulatory oversight to include social media platforms and streaming services while transferring assessment authority from ministerial to independent regulatory control. The legislation modernizes decades-old definitions of media businesses and implements new notification thresholds that could significantly increase the volume of transactions requiring regulatory approval.

On 2 October 2018, Minister Heather Humphries, the Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation, signed the Competition Act 2002 (section 27) Order 2018.