OREANDA-NEWS. March 04, 2011. The Collegium of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) held an extended session at the Russian Academy of Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation (RAPA), where the Head of FAS Russia Igor Artemyev gave the key-note report “FAS Russia’s Work in 2010 and the Objectives for 2011”, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The Head of FAS Russia stated that the antimonopoly bodies became more active, which is illustrated by the number of cases initiated upon the signs of antimonopoly violations: the number of cases initiated in 2010 increased by 1.7 times in comparison with 2008 and reached nearly 11,500 cases (to compare: 6541 in 2008).

Igor Artemyev pointed out at the increase of antimonopoly cases opened upon the own initiative of the antimonopoly authorities: 51% of all cases in 2010.

In 2010 more than six billion Rubles were transferred to the federal budget as fines imposed for violating the antimonopoly law (according to the Federal Treasury).

The Head of FAS Russia made a point about the findings of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation that in 2010 fully supported the position taken by FAS Russia in the dispute with the largest oil companies and confirmed legitimacy of the decision made by the antimonopoly authority.

Among crucial cases investigated by FAS Russia Igor Artemyev also described reducing the rates for roaming, saying that “today fines are mostly measures of control and prevention. Our goal is not to make the companies bankrupts but to show, what kind of practice is condemned by the society and the state in general”, explained Igor Artemyev.

The Head of FAS Russia also emphasized that this year the Russian antimonopoly authority is awarded the three stars rating of the Global Competition Review for enforcement efficiency, which means “good”. “Today FAS is on the 19th position in the world on enforcement efficiency and has been nominated as the best competition authority in Europe along with the European Commission on Competition and the French Antimonopoly Authority”, said Igor Artemyev.