OREANDA-NEWS. November 06, 2009. Igor Artemyev, the Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), called upon members of the Association of European Business to form a Working Group for developing proposals on improving the antimonopoly legislation. He also invited them to take part in a joined meeting of FAS Russia and "Promoting Development of Competition" Non-Commercial Partnership to discuss the novelties of the "second antimonopoly package of laws". The statement was made at the meeting with members of the Association, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

"The antimonopoly legislation should not scare investors, it should protect competition. We want full understanding between us and business", pointed out Igor Artemyev.

According to the Head of FAS Russia, an open dialogue with business is one of the priorities of the work of the antimonopoly authority. "It is important for us to hear the opinion of professional legal community and representatives of business on the issues of modernization of the antimonopoly legislation in Russia. To that effect we take part in various conferences and "round tables", meet representatives of foreign companies with the assistance of embassies and consulates, and closely work within the framework of the non-commercial partnership", explained Igor Artemyev.

"The antimonopoly legislation is not aimed against business as such, it protects some businesses from others", stated the Head of FAS Russia. "Those big businesses which got used to destroy small and medium business and act with arbitrary force on the market in any other way, abusing their market dominance, must get rid of this habit. A new 178 Article of the Criminal Code, which comes into force in the near future, will help them to do it", said Igor Artemyev.

Finally, the Head of FAS Russia presented to the participants the book "A fight for competition".