OREANDA-NEWS. April 17, 2012. Increasing efforts against cartels is one of the priorities of the work of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) for the near future. The statement was made by the Head of FAS Igor Artemyev, speaking on 12th April 2012 at Russian – American Round Table on “Improving Russian Antimonopoly Law and the Law on Foreign Investments in the Strategic Sectors of the Economy”, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

Among other priorities the Head of FAS outlined:

Prohibiting abuses of market dominance;

Reducing administrative burden upon businesses;

Controlling the authorities;

Tightening control over holders of natural monopolies;

Increasing transparency of the Antimonopoly Service;

Expanding cooperation with foreign competition authorities in course of investigations of violations.

Igor Artemyev informed participants of the Round Table about the novelties of the “third antimonopoly package”, pointing out that the “package is another step towards unifying Russian antimonopoly law with European and Northern American laws”.

“In our work we are guided by the best antimonopoly practices – European and Northern American ones. Now Russia has the same prohibitions as Europe and the USA in terms of antimonopoly regulation”, stated Mr. Artemyev.

The Head of FAS discussed progress of cases on cartels on the markets of chlorine, soda, coal, medicines, etc. Mr. Artemyev pointed out that FAS would endeavour that a case on cartel in the market of power-generating coal should be heard by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation.

According to Igor Artemyev, since the law now specifies mitigating and aggravating circumstances for determining fines to be imposed upon companies for violating the antimonopoly law, it is expected that in 2012 the size of fines would double.