OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2009. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) fined the "Centre for Rescue and Environmental Operations" OJSC (TsASEO OJSC) nearly 2.5 million Rubles for engagement in competition-restricting concerted actions, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Earlier FAS Russia considered two cases against "TsASEO" OJSC and found that the company violated Article 11 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (prohibiting competition-restrictive agreements or concerted actions between economic entities).

In the first case, "TsASEO" OJSC and the Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations exercised concerted actions in the market of servicing hazardous production facilities (including the sources of oil and oil products spills). For this violation "TsASEO" OJSC was fined 2,211,362 Rubles 50 kopecks. The Russian Ministry for Emergency Situations created obstacles for operations of economic entities involved in production, processing, transportation and storage of oil and oil products. In particular, the Ministry restricted issuing certificates to the search-and-rescue units at the local, regional and federal levels to the benefit of the "Centre for Rescue and Environmental Operations" OJSC, and pressurized economic entities in the oil and gas sector to enter into contracts with the "Centre for Rescue and Environmental Operations" OJSC. Also "TsASEO" OJSC refused to assist in development of regional units of the company.

The second case against "TsASEO" OJSC was about an anticompetitive agreement for dividing the market of serviceable hazardous production facilities in the Moscow region, concluded by the company. "TsASEO" OJSC was fined 253'508, 62 Rubles. "TsASEO" OJSC entered into an agreement with "Mosoblpozhspas" GUMO, under which the companies divided the market of serviceable hazardous production facilities in the Moscow region. "TsASEO" OJSC was supposed to provide services only to the facilities at the federal level.

Another participant of the agreement was fully relieved from administrative liability under the Notes to Article 14.32 of the Code of Administrative Violations, because the company voluntarily reported to the antimonopoly authority about its participation in the anticompetitive actions and refused to further execute the unlawful agreement.