OREANDA-NEWS. September 26, 2011. Stats-Secretary Andrey Tsarikovskiy, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) informed participants of the 2nd BRICS Competition Conference in Beijing with Russian experience of combating cartels, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Andrey Tsarikovskiy discussed the content of Articles 11 and 16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” that prohibits collusions between competing economic entities and between the authorities and companies, as well as administrative and criminal liability for participation in cartels.

Stats-Secretary, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service said that every year the number of cases initiated upon the signs of unlawful agreements or concerted actions increased. In 2007 the overall number of cases under Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” was 232, while in 2010 FAS and its regional offices opened 607 cases. The number of cases initiated under Article16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (that prohibits anticompetitive agreements between the authorities and companies) also is going up. In 2007 FAS and its regional offices initiated 148 cases under this Article, and in 2010 this figure reached 639.

As practical illustrations of combating cartels, Andrey Tsarikovskiy gave an example of investigating a cartel on the market of caustic soda and coordination of economic activities on the market of liquid chlorine.

Andrey Tsarikovskiy also pointed out that FAS introduced a practice of “dawn raids” involving search procedures, copying electronic media, obtaining written statements and video-recording.