Regulatory and competition appeals: options for reform

This consultation seeks views on the appeals frameworks for regulatory and competition decisions. It looks at whether they strike the right balance between providing a proper right of challenge and allowing regulators and competition authorities to make decisions in a timely way. It also considers ways that appeals might be made easier.

The appeals frameworks across different sectors have evolved over time. There is now a diverse range of appeal routes across the regulated sectors. Some of these differences reflect genuine differences in the nature of the decisions being made. This consultation seeks views on the case for making the current appeals framework simpler so that:

• it concentrates more on identifying material errors
• appeal bodies’ expertise is applied in the most appropriate way and appeal routes are more consistent across sectors, to provide greater certainty and better use of resources
• it is more accessible to all affected parties
• incentives in the system are aligned with government’s objectives for the appeals framework
• appeals processes are as efficient and cost effective as possible

To achieve this, we are consulting on a package of changes to the way regulatory appeals are handled. The proposals cover all steps in the appeals process, including:

• initial incentives on firms to launch an appeal
• grounds on which an appeal is heard
• body which hears the appeal
• making the processes for conducting appeals more straightforward