Bold takeaway: Private parking giant Euro Car Parks just got hit with a hefty penalty for ignoring regulator requests, highlighting how seriously watchdogs take information compliance. But here’s where it gets controversial… the company initially claimed it blocked regulator emails as a scam, a claim the CMA dismissed as not a valid excuse. And this is the part most people miss: the CMA’s use of new fining powers marks a significant escalation in how investigations can be enforced.
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Euro Car Parks, a private parking operator known for issuing fines, has faced a substantial penalty of about £473,000 after failing to supply information to a regulatory body. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed the fine because the company did not respond for three months to seven information requests, which were sent by registered post, email, and a hand-delivered letter.
This case represents the CMA’s first use of its new fining powers, introduced in 2024, to sanction a company for non-compliance with information notices. When the regulator decides to open an investigation, it issues information notices to relevant businesses, and those firms are legally obligated to cooperate.
The CMA stated that Euro Car Parks only replied after the threat of a penalty was raised. In its defense, the company argued that it had blocked the watchdog’s emails because it believed they were part of a scam. The CMA rejected this as a reasonable excuse and finalized the penalty in December 2025.
The regulator also noted that Euro Car Parks attempted to obtain a high court injunction to prevent the regulator from being named publicly, but the court refused that application earlier this week.
Hayley Fletcher, CMA’s senior director of consumer enforcement, explained that the ignored information requests were essential for understanding the facts and determining whether potential breaches of the law occurred. She emphasized that compliance is a legal obligation, not optional.
By disregarding multiple outreach efforts, Euro Car Parks forced the CMA to invest additional time and resources to obtain the necessary information. Fletcher highlighted that this marks the first instance of the CMA using its new powers to fine a company for failing to respond to such a notice, sending a clear message that non-compliance carries tangible penalties.
The severity of the matter led the CMA to set the fine at 75% of the maximum fixed charge for this category of breach, totaling £473,000. The enforcement framework allows for penalties up to 1% of a company’s annual turnover in similar cases.
Separately, some drivers have accused Euro Car Parks of unfairly pursuing payments for alleged parking infringements. However, the CMA confirmed that there was no open consumer enforcement case against the company, and no assumption should be made that it has violated consumer law.
Would you agree that regulator-imposed penalties like this should be a standard consequence for non-cooperation, or do you think the CMA should consider alternative remedies in future cases? Share your thoughts in the comments.
