OREANDA-NEWS. On November 14, 2008 the group of persons of "Evraz Holding" informed the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) on transferring the 149 142 457.60 Rubles fine, imposed for an administrative violation, to the federal budget, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 10th September 2008, FAS Russia recognized that "Yuzhkuzbassugol" Coal Company" OJSC, a member of the group of persons of "Evraz Holding" Ltd., violated Part 1 Clause 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" by abusing dominant position of the market of coking coals: maintaining monopolistically high prices.

The case was initiated upon FAS Russia's inspections and price monitoring. The group of persons violated the antimonopoly legislation by maintaining monopolistically high prices on domestic market for the concentrate of coking coals (grades GZh+Zh).

Analysis of the price behavior on domestic market, carried out by FAS Russia due to the growing prices, showed that the prices began to increase considerably in the last quarter 2007.

Under Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations, abusing dominant position is punishable by administrative fines upon legal entities from 1 to 15% of the net sales of the violator on the market, where the violation occurred, in the year preceding the year, when the violation was revealed, but no more than 2% of the net sales of all goods.

Determining the fine, FAS Russia took into account the assistance of the group of persons of "Evraz Holding" in investigation and measures undertaken by the companies to eliminate the violations and their consequences, in particular, voluntary reduction of prices for coking coal from 5 500 Rubles per ton starting from 1st September 2008.