One single agency now oversees competition and regulated markets

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The National Markets and Competition Commission (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) is created as a public body independent from the Government. Its goal is to guarantee the proper working, transparency and effective competition in all markets, for the benefit of consumers and users.
2. The Commission takes over the duties of the regulators that are dissolved: competition, energy, telecommunications, postal services, rail, airports and audiovisual media. Creating the new Commission means those bodies disappear.
3. The Commission takes on all competition defense functions: policing conduct that restricts competition, reviewing business mergers and applying European Union competition rules. It also acts as an advisory body and can challenge public decisions that block competition.
4. In regulated sectors (electronic communications, electricity and gas, postal services, audiovisual media, airport fees and rail) the Commission supervises markets, sets methodologies and fees where the law allows it, and resolves disputes between operators, with binding decisions within three months.
5. The Commission's Council has ten members appointed by the Government through a Royal Decree, but Congress can veto the proposed candidate. Their term is six years with no reelection, and for two years after leaving office they cannot work in the regulated sectors.
6. The Commission can inspect companies: enter premises, examine books and documents and seal them if needed. Entering a private home or sealing property requires the person's consent or a court authorization.
7. Decisions by the President and the Council end the administrative process and can only be appealed before the administrative courts. The President must appear before Congress at least once a year, and the Commission must publish its reports, agreements and annual report.
8. Some administrative tasks move to the Ministries: Industry takes on duties in energy and audiovisual matters, Public Works takes on postal matters, and the Directorate General for Gambling Regulation takes over the duties of the dissolved National Gambling Commission.

Who it affects

• Consumers and users: They benefit from an agency that watches over competition and prices in electricity, gas, phone service, mail, transport and audiovisual media.
• Companies in regulated sectors: They are supervised by the Commission, which can inspect them, impose obligations and fine them.
• Telecommunications, energy and postal operators: They must pay the fees and public charges listed in the Annex, which fund the supervision.
• Employees of the dissolved agencies: They join the new Commission or the General State Administration, keeping their rights.

Words worth knowing

Concentración económica (merger)

A merger or the purchase of one company by another. The Commission reviews these deals so they do not reduce competition.

Jurisdicción contencioso-administrativa

The courts that review decisions made by public administrations.

Potestad sancionadora

The power of a public authority to impose penalties when the law is broken.

Circular

A rule issued by the Commission to develop sector laws. It becomes binding on those affected once published in the official gazette (BOE).

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries