Scrutiny Reviews

 

The Channel Islands Competition and Regulatory Authorities (CICRA) was created in 2010 as an administrative arrangement between the Jersey Competition and Regulatory Authority (JCRA) and the Guernsey Competition Regulatory Authority (GCRA) to share costs and expertise to work more efficiently across the two Islands.

Since 2010, CICRA has been responsible for the administration and enforcement of competition law across the Channel Islands and the economic regulation of the telecom, ports and postal sector in Jersey and the telecoms sector in Guernsey.

On 23rd April, it was announced that CICRA will demerge from 1st July 2020 to better address the different competition issues faced in Jersey and Guernsey.

A transition plan is being implemented by the JCRA to ensure that competition regulation is not affected by the change. It is planned that, from 1st July, the JCRA will function independently under its own Board, executive and staff.

​The Panel will examine the decision-making process and its impact on competition regulation in Jersey. The Panel will also determine whether stakeholder engagement took place in the lead up to the announcement and how separating the Authority will affect competition regulation in Jersey and pan-Channel Island sectoral regulation.

1. To examine the decision to demerge CICRA including:

1. The decision-making process, including governance standards;
2. The rationale for the decision; and
3. The impact of the decision

2. To determine the stakeholder engagement practices used by the Minister and the Growth, Housing and Environment Department before the decision was made.

3. To examine the costs of withdrawing from the joint agreement with Guernsey and the cost of setting up and operating a separate competition regulatory infrastructure in Jersey.

4. To examine the short and long-term implications for competition and regulation in Jersey with a particular focus on regulatory independence and pan-CI markets, including telecoms.