OREANDA-NEWS. July 11, 2011. A delegation from FAS Russia took part in a meeting of the Steering Group of the International Competition Network (ICN) organized as part of the events hosted by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (in Paris, France), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

FAS Russia is a member of the ICN Steering Group and the Chair of ICN Advocacy Working Group.

The ICN Steering Group discussed several major issues:

The first item was approving the agenda of the forthcoming sessions of the ICN Steering in 2011-2012. The key issue for the second half of the working period of this Steering Group will be cooperation between competition authorities – members of the ICN.

It shall involve the following main directions:

- exchanging information about investigations;

- exchanging theoretical achievements in the field of violations of the law on competition and their consequences;

- obtaining case decisions upon a request and exchanging information and documents about the companies involved in the cases on violations;

- coordinating inter-agency activities in terms of the period of case consideration and decision-making;

- coordinating “dawn raids” and inspections (searches);

- coordinating other aspects of antimonopoly investigations (for instance, joint interrogations (surveys);

- coordinating sanctions.

Apart from cooperation between competition authorities, the ICN Steering Group also selected the following issues: work with courts of law and judges, including issues related to procedural fairness, and the issues of institutional efficiency of competition authorities.

Wrapping up the meeting of the Group, ICN member-states considered applications for ascending the ICN from the Independent Commission for Protection of Consumer Rights and Competition of Papua New Guinea, the Competition Commission of Malaysia and COMESA Competition Commission ОРВЮА (Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa). The Membership Working Group arrived to the conclusion that these competition agencies met the ICN requirements. Should their membership in ICN be approved, ICN would comprise 120 members from 106 jurisdictions.

Reference:

On 19th May 2011, the 10th International ICN Conference in Hague (the Netherlands) held a session to nominate members of ICN Steering Group as well as Chairs of ICN Working Groups. The FAS Russia continues its membership in ICN Steering Group; also FAS has become the single Chair of the ICN Advocacy Working Group. It shows impeccable reputation and high level of trust this influential international organization has towards the FAS Russia.