CMA announces its 2026 to 2029 strategy and issues first fine using its DMCCA powers

The question

How will the CMA's refreshed strategy for 2026 to 2029 and new enforcement powers shape the regulatory environment of consumer protection in the UK?

The key takeaway

The CMA is combining an explicitly pro-growth, pro-consumer strategy with strengthened enforcement powers under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA). The recent Euro Car Parks fine illustrates that failures to engage fully with the CMA where they begin formal procedures in connection with their powers can attract substantial penalties, even where a business argues there is a “reasonable excuse”.

The background

The CMA's overarching purpose is to promote competition and protect consumers in the UK, while acting independently and objectively. In pursuing this purpose, the CMA has regard to the government's policy priorities, known as the 'Strategic Steer', which has also informed its strategic decisions.

The Consumer Rights Act 2015, amended by the DMCCA (which came into force on 6 April 2025), grants the CMA with powers to determine whether a business has failed to comply with information notices – a tool used by the CMA to gather evidence pre-investigation which businesses are legally required to comply with – and to impose penalties of £30,000 or (if higher) 1% of the business’ turnover and/or a daily penalty of £15,000 of (if higher) 5% of the business’ daily turnover.

The CMA's 2026-2029 strategy

While the CMA's objective remains unchanged, it has stated that over the next three years, its ultimate goal is to "drive economic growth and improve household prosperity". To deliver this, the CMA has set out five "strategic objectives":

1. Promoting effective competition: As the UK's competition advocate and independent enforcer, the CMA recognises the importance of genuine business collaboration in driving investment, innovation and growth. It will step up its existing efforts to facilitate pro-growth collaboration between businesses. In addition, to ensure effective competition in the digital markets, it will implement the new UK digital markets competition regime.
2. Championing consumers: The CMA puts consumers front and centre under the new regime, and takes up with alacrity its new powers under the DMCCA to determine whether consumer protection laws have been infringed and take direct enforcement action. It has confirmed that it will use these powers to tackle egregious conduct that harms consumers and is detrimental to fair business.
3. Supporting government pro-competition initiatives: The CMA will continue to support the government's pro-competitive policy making on public procurement and regulatory barriers.
4. Attracting investment: The CMA aims to encourage a pro-investment regulatory environment that supports economic growth and attracts global investment.
5. Prioritising UK interests: The CMA will focus on issues that are of importance to and most beneficial for, the UK economy, businesses and consumers.

In delivering this strategy, the CMA's '4Ps programme' (pace, predictability, proportionality, and process) will remain central. In practice, this means that the CMA will aim to open, process and then conclude investigations as quickly as possible (pace) whilst being transparent with businesses about its processes and approach (predictability). The CMA will also ensure that its actions are proportionate and in the best interests of UK consumers and businesses (proportionality), whilst strengthening its engagement with key stakeholders, including through a new Consumer Forum and stakeholder surveys (process).

Euro Car Parks fine

On 13 February 2026, the CMA announced that it had imposed a fixed fine of £473,000 on Euro Car Parks Ltd for failing to comply with an information notice issued under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (Notice).

Euro Car Parks argued that it had a reasonable excuse for non-compliance, on the basis that the Notice had been served on a director who was no longer involved in the day-to-day operations of the company and who was away from the company's address and outside the UK at the time of service. The CMA nevertheless concluded that Euro Car Parks had failed to comply with the Notice "without reasonable excuse", and that its non-compliance fell within the highest category of seriousness (a major breach), given the 60-day delay after the Notice deadline before the CMA received the first batch of information requested (and only after the CMA had issued a notice informing the company of a potential fine for non-compliance). This caused a two-month delay to the CMA's investigation. The amount fined represented 75% of the maximum possible fixed charge for this type of breach (1% of the company's annual turnover).

This marks the first fine issued by the CMA using its new DMCCA fining powers and highlights the importance of businesses complying with legal requests for information in a timely manner. The CMA will consider all reasons forwarded by a business, applying an objective test, to determine whether there was a reasonable excuse. However, businesses are expected to comply with information notices by the stated deadline or raise any issues non-complying promptly.

Why is this important?

The CMA’s focus on economic growth, digital markets and consumer protection, backed by its new direct enforcement powers, signals quicker investigations, higher potential fines and lower tolerance for procedural failures. Delays or internal communication issues around regulatory notices will not necessarily constitute a sufficiently reasonable excuse, particularly where the CMA has contacted an organisation via several alternative means. Robust governance, clear accountability and early engagement with the CMA are increasingly essential risk management tools.

Any practical tips?

• Review and, if necessary, update internal policies for handling CMA information notices, ensuring there is a clearly identified owner, up-to-date contact details and escalation routes.
• Train key staff to recognise and prioritise regulator requests for information and keep records of any obstacles to compliance.
• Engage early with the CMA if deadlines cannot be met.
• For consumer‑facing and digital businesses, consider proactive compliance reviews in light of the DMCCA and the CMA’s strategic focus areas.

Spring 2026