Enterprise Act 2002

The Enterprise Act 2002 is a UK statute covering competition, consumer enforcement and insolvency. Its merger provisions establish processes for examining transactions and responding to competition concerns. A separate public-interest route allows ministers to consider specified interests where the statutory conditions are met. The Act therefore provides both investigatory machinery and powers for decisions about mergers. [Official statute](https://www.legislation.GOV.UK/ukpga/2002/40/contents).

Section 42 provides for a ministerial intervention notice, while section 43 sets out what the notice must contain. Section 58 identifies relevant public-interest considerations. In media cases, this framework connects ministerial decisions with reports from the Competition and Markets Authority and Ofcom. The statute defines the legal process; the evidence and decisions in any particular transaction determine how those powers are used. [Government explanation of the powers](https://assets.publishing.service.GOV.UK/media/6ad0b8df0f7b53973e026726/261015_SoS_Minded_to_Intervene_Letter_to_Sky_re_Sky-ITV__Redacted.pdf).