OREANDA-NEWS. July 22, 2008. Increasing its control over the fuel and refilling sector, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) organized a regular telephone conference with its Regional Offices in follow-up of its instruction on price control in the fuel and refilling sector, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

In spring 2008, FAS Russia established that in a number of industries in the Russian Federation the level of prices for aviation fuel exceeded refilling prices in foreign airports.

On 1st June 2008 FAS Russia instructed its Regional Offices in more than 20 constituent territories in the Russian Federation to identify airports with the highest fuel prices and by 1st August 2008 adopt the appropriate measured of antimonopoly enforcement.

We have already informed about antimonopoly proceedings against refueling companies in Sakhalin, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

On 15th and 16th July 2008, the Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in the Republic of Dagestan initiated two cases against "Dagestine Airlines" OJSC that overpriced aviation kerosene and services for aircraft refueling and selling air tickets.

Hearings are scheduled on 31st July 2008.

On 19th August 2008, the Chelyabinsk Office of FAS Russia will hear a case against "LUKOIL AERO" Ltd. for breaching Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" on the market of aviation kerosene and fuel-and-refilling services.

On 12th September 2008, the Buryatia Office of FAS Russia will hear the case against "Aerofuels Group" Ltd., "AEROFUELS" TZK" Ltd., " AEROFUELS -VOSTOK" Company" Ltd., "Aerofuels Ink" Firm" Ltd. and "Aerofuels - Ulan-Ude" Ltd. for violating Clause 5 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" on the market of aviation kerosene and fuel-and-refilling services.

The inspections of the fuel-and-refilling sector are being carried out in Chita, Komi, Khabarovsk, Nizhny Novgorod, St Petersburg, etc.

The antimonopoly bodies also scrutinize the markets of motor fuel. Currently there are ongoing investigations in Irkutsk, Khabarovsk and Novosibirsk. Some Regional Offices have already initiated cases against violations on the market of diesel fuel and aviation kerosene.

On 19th August 2008, the Chelyabinsk Office of FAS Russia will also process the case initiated on 17th July 2008 against "LUKOIL Uralnefteproduct" Ltd. and F. Kazykhanova, an individual entrepreneur, who are accused in violating Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" on the retail market of oil products.

The Khabarovsk Office of FAS Russia also has exposed violations by "Khabarovsknefteproduct" OJSC and "RN-Vostoknefteproduct" OJSC on the retail market of oil products. The hearing is scheduled on 23 July 2008.

On 15th July 2008, the Stravropol Office of FAS Russia initiated a case against "LUKoil-Yugnefteproduct" Ltd., "Rosneft-Stavropolie" Oil Company" OJSC, "Bashoil-KMV" Ltd., "Stavneft" Ltd., "Stavropolkomplekt" PKP" Ltd. for violating Artcile 11 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" by сfixing and maintaining prices for diesel fuel. The case will be heard on 5th August 2008.

FAS Russia intends to organize such telephone conferences on a regular basis until the situation on the oil product market is stabilized.