OREANDA-NEWS. November 15, 2012. A FAS delegation led by the Head of FAS Igor Artemiev took part in the III Ukraine’s Competition Forum in Kiev, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Attendees included representatives of the antimonopoly authorities of the CIS member-states and foreign competition authorities, the Eurasian Economic Commission, representatives of the leading Ukrainian and international law firms, judges, representatives of academia and business circles of Ukraine and Russia.

The welcoming address at the Forum’s opening ceremony was given by the First Vice-Prime-Minister of Ukraine, Valery Khoroshkovsky, who pointed out that the issues of developing competition and improving antimonopoly law were priorities for the Government of Ukraine and for the country in general. Valery Khoroshkovsky also stated that the results of the Forum would be implemented in the work of the Government of Ukraine and would help devise measures for efficient antimonopoly policy in view of best practices of other countries. On behalf of the Government of Ukraine, Valery Khoroshkovsky wished the Forum productive work.

Participants were also greeted by the Chairman of the Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee, Vasily Tsushko, who said that the Forum should become a platform for exchanging experience and achievements in the field of competition and stimulate development of competition in Ukraine. “Competition brings flourishing – this is the most accurate slogan of the Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee. The themes of discussion are important for Ukraine as well as for other participants of the Forum”, emphasized Vasily Tsushko.

Deputy Chairman of the Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee, Fyodor Vlad, made a report on the main results and achievements of the Committee. He emphasized that for the nine months of 2012 the fines imposed by the Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee exceeded 660 million hryvnas, and the economic effect of terminating the violations was over 1 billion hryvnas. The main objective of the Ukraine’s Antimonopoly Committee is protection of competition, and fines are simply the tool”, said Mr. Vlad.

At the key session of the Forum - “Competition Policy in the CIS and the EC. Developing Competition Law and Enforcement” - reports were also made by: Igor Artemiev; the President of Austria’s Federal Competition Authority, Theodor Tanner; a member of the Collegium – the Minister of Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, Nurlan Aldabegenov; the Head of the Secretariat of the Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy, Azam Usmanov; Deputy Director General of the National Agency of the Republic of Moldova for Protection of Competition, Ion Yekim; and the Chairman of Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Competition Protection, Gabidulla Abdrahimov; and others.

At the session, the Head of FAS Legal Department, Sergey Puzyrevsky, made a presentation about cartels, which caused a considerable interest of the audience.