Ireland’s Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has opened an investigation into suspected anticompetitive practices in the market for small electric home appliances, marking one of the more prominent cases to be pursued under its recently expanded enforcement powers.
The probe focuses on a suspected resale price maintenance arrangement involving a manufacturer, a distributor and several retailers operating in Ireland. Such arrangements arise when suppliers attempt to dictate or influence the prices at which their products are resold, a practice that can undermine price competition and ultimately disadvantage consumers.
As part of the investigation, the CCPC has already taken a series of enforcement steps. In June 2025, it carried out an unannounced inspection at the premises of an Irish-based distributor believed to be involved in the suspected conduct. The authority later extended its investigative reach beyond Ireland’s borders, working alongside Germany’s competition watchdog, the Bundeskartellamt, during a surprise inspection at the premises of a manufacturer in Germany in November 2025. CCPC officials participated directly in that operation, reflecting the cross-border dimension of the case.
The Irish authority has also issued formal information requests to a number of retailers active in the Irish market, as it seeks to establish the extent and impact of the alleged arrangements. These measures underline the increasingly coordinated approach taken by European competition authorities in cases involving supply chains that span multiple jurisdictions.
The investigation is being conducted under the CCPC’s strengthened competition enforcement framework, which entered into force in September 2023. The new regime grants the authority enhanced administrative powers, including the ability for independent adjudication officers to impose financial penalties on companies found to have breached competition law.
The CCPC has not identified the companies under investigation or reached any conclusions at this stage.