OREANDA-NEWS. December 16, 2010. As part of its efforts on competitions advocacy, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) examined the draft Order of the Federal Service for Regulating the Alcohol Market (Rosalcoholregulirovanie) “On Approving the Technical Conditions for Storing Alcohol and Alcohol-Containing Products Packed for Consumers in the Organizations Involved in Sales of Alcohol and Alcohol-Containing Products”, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The draft Order is published on the official web-site of Rosalcoholregulirovanie.

Under the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, FAS Russia is responsible for state control over compliance with the antimonopoly norms. The Law prohibits the authorities to pass acts and (or) exercise actions (omissions) that lead or can lead to preventing, restricting or eliminating competition. In particular, Clause 2 Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” prohibits unjustified prevention of activities of economic entities.

According to FAS Russia, approving the Technical Conditions in their current version can lead to unjustified preventing activities of economic entities, preventing economic entities from obtaining (extending) licenses for production and sales of ethanol, alcohol and alcohol-containing products; overlapping functions of other authorities.

FAS Russia prepared a draft letter to Rosalcoholregulirovanie with its comments to the draft order.

Following the decision of the FAS Russia’s Expert Council on Developing Competition on the Market of Production and Sales of Ethylene, Alcohol and Alcohol-Containing Products of 9th December 2010, FAS Russia is publishing the draft letter to Rosalcoholregulirovanie to be discussed by market participants.