The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has published its 2026–27 Compliance and Enforcement Policy and Priorities (February 2026), setting out the key sectors and conduct that will attract enforcement attention in the year ahead.
The ACCC states that its priorities are designed to focus on conduct that results in substantial consumer or small business detriment, harms competition, or impacts cost-of-living pressures. It has also confirmed that it will continue to push for high penalties where deliberate conduct causes significant harm and will focus on accountability of senior executives where there appears to be a poor compliance culture within a business.
2026–27 Annual Priorities
Access the official ACCC notification below.
A summary of the ACCC’s published annual priorities for 2026–27 include:
Supermarket and Retail Sectors
The ACCC will focus on:
Competition issues in the supermarket and retail sectors, particularly conduct by firms with market power that impacts small business
Consumer and fair trading concerns in supermarkets and retail, with a focus on misleading pricing practices
Businesses operating in these sectors should ensure pricing representations, discount claims and promotional practices are accurate and compliant.
Essential Services
The ACCC has identified essential services as a key area of focus, including:
Promoting competition in telecommunications, electricity and gas
Misleading pricing and claims in relation to essential services, particularly energy and telecommunications
This signals continued scrutiny of pricing transparency and consumer communications in regulated and high-impact markets.
Aviation
Competition and consumer issues in the aviation sector
This reflects ongoing concerns regarding consumer outcomes and market conduct in aviation.
Digital Markets
The ACCC will prioritise:
Manipulative and false practices and unsafe consumer goods in digital markets
Promoting competition in digital markets
Businesses operating online should review digital sales practices, subscription processes and product safety compliance.
Environmental Claims and Greenwashing
Environmental marketing remains under active enforcement focus. The ACCC has identified:
Consumer and fair trading concerns in relation to environmental claims and sustainability, with a focus on greenwashing
Organisations making sustainability claims should ensure those claims are accurate, clear and properly substantiated.
Unfair Contract Terms
The ACCC has confirmed that it will target:
Unfair contract terms in consumer and small business contracts
Harmful cancellation terms, including automatic renewals, early termination fees and non-cancellation clauses
Contractual documentation should be reviewed carefully for compliance with the Australian Consumer Law.
Consumer Guarantees (Motor Vehicles)
Improving industry compliance with consumer guarantees, with a focus on motor vehicles
Motor vehicle suppliers and dealerships should ensure their complaint handling and warranty processes align with statutory consumer guarantees.
Product Safety – Young Children
The ACCC has also prioritised:
Consumer product safety issues for young children
Compliance with mandatory standards relating to button batteries, infant sleep products and toppling furniture
Product safety remains both an annual and enduring enforcement focus.
Enduring Priorities
In addition to annual priorities, the ACCC maintains long-term enforcement priorities that will always receive focus.
These include:
Cartel conduct
Anti-competitive conduct
Product safety
Protection of consumers experiencing vulnerability or disadvantage
Conduct impacting First Nations Australians
Small business and agriculture protections
Scams enforcement
These enduring priorities underpin the ACCC’s enforcement strategy across all sectors.
Enforcement Approach
The ACCC uses a range of tools to encourage compliance, including education, administrative resolutions, infringement notices, court-enforceable undertakings and litigation.
It has emphasised that:
High penalties will continue to be sought for deliberate misconduct
Senior executives may be held accountable where compliance culture is inadequate
Education and compliance initiatives will be stepped up in light of legislative reforms
What does this mean for businesses?
The 2026–27 priorities indicate sustained enforcement attention on:
Pricing transparency and discounting practices
Environmental and sustainability claims
Digital sales models and subscription terms
Contract fairness
Consumer guarantee compliance
Product safety obligations
Businesses should review internal compliance frameworks, marketing practices, contract terms and governance structures to mitigate enforcement risk.
How C-PRAV Can Support
C-PRAV provides regulatory advisory and compliance support across competition, consumer protection and product safety requirements. We assist organisations with:
Compliance gap assessments
Contract and claims reviews
Regulatory briefings
Governance and compliance culture reviews
For tailored guidance on how the ACCC’s 2026–27 priorities may affect your organisation, please contact our team.