OREANDA-NEWS. February 02, 2009. The Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) in the Yasroslavl region (the Yaroslavl OFAS Russia) fined "Yaroslavl' Regional Gas Distribution Company" Ltd. ("Yarregiongaz" Ltd.) for abusing dominant position on the market of wholesale trade of gaseous fuel, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The Yaroslavl OFAS Russia found that "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", which forbids economic entity that has dominant position to exercise actions, including creating discriminatory conditions, that can infringe interests of other entities.

In the gas supply contract with "Yaroslavl' Engineering Structures Plant" ("YaZSK" Ltd.), "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. included a requirement on securing the payment for the stated volume of gas in the form of a pledge, surety, or a bank guarantee within 45 days. If "YaZSK" Ltd. failed to meet this requirement, "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. would terminate the contract unilaterally. Such actions of "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. infringed the interests of "YaZSK" Ltd. because its economic independence was restricted and "YaZSK" Ltd. was forced to look for a guarantor in a relatively short time. Furthermore, "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. did not set forth such conditions for buying gas to all companies.

The Yaroslavl OFAS Russia imposed administrative charges upon "Yarregiongaz" Ltd. under Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Violations and fined the company 40 246 406.37 Rubles.