PROGRAMME ON COOPERATION BETWEEN THE FEDERAL ANTIMONOPOLY SERVICE OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION AND THE FINNISH COMPETITION AUTHORITY FOR 2008-2009

The Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation (hereinafter - the FAS Russia) and the Finnish Competition Authority (hereinafter - FCA), hereinafter referred to as Parties,



setting themselves the object to implement the Agreement on Cooperation between the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Antimonopoly Policy and Promotion of New Economic Structures and Office of Free Competition of Finland the signed on 21 september 1994,



approved the current Programme on cooperation for 2008-2009.



1. In compliance with the Article 2 of the Agreement and pursuant to the confidentiality rules fixed by the legislation of the States of the Parties, the Parties are to secure:



а) in the field of exchange of legal and other normative documents as well as information exchange:



- providing of the other Party with the texts of laws and other legal acts which make the ground to the Party's activity;

- providing of the other Party with elaborated methodological materials on the Party's directions of activity;

- providing of the other Party with statistic data and information on the activity of the Party and its Regional Offices.



Transfer of materials shall be realized in English language via international mail or at the meetings of the Parties' representatives.



b) in the field of organizing meetings of the Heads of Authorities:



- holding of a meeting in Moscow to discuss the process of realization of the current Programme on cooperation and issues of mutual interest: second half of 2008,

- holding of a meeting in Helsinki to sign the Programme on cooperation for the next period: second half of 2009.



c) in the field of organization of traineeships aimed at exchange of experience:



holding of traineeships for competition policy specialists (2 persons, for 5 days):



- first half-year in 2008 and 2009 - in Moscow;

- second half-year in 2008 and 2009 - in Helsinki.



The Parties shall organize meetings, exchange of experience with specialists from other bodies of State power according to the subject of traineeship.



Holding of traineeships is realized at the presence of financial resources of the Parties.



d) in the field of holding symposiums, conferences, seminars:



invitation of representatives of the other Party to participate in symposiums, conferences and seminars on competition policy issues.



Holding of symposiums, conferences, seminars is realized at the presence of financial resources of the Parties.



2. In case of need, the Parties provide each other with informational and consultation assistance for implementation of tasks in the sphere of competition policy determined by legislation of the States of the Parties.



Parties inform each other on the ongoing investigations of anticompetitive actions of economic entities if these investigations are conducted with regards to economic entities, registered on the territory of the State of the other Party, as well as in those cases, when anticompetitive actions of economic entities, by the opinion of the informing Party, are able to affect the interests of the other Party.



Provision of the above mentioned information is carried out on the base of a request submitted by one of the Parties, which includes the purpose of the information use.



The requested information is provided within the time agreed by both Parties, but not later than within forty five days from the date the request has been received. The Party, which receives the request, informs immediately the other Party on circumstances, which could cause failure to provide the requested information or nonobservance of the given period.



The Party upon its initiative - as well as upon a request of the other Party carries out the transfer of information concerning the actions of economic entities and Authorities of the Parties States, which contradict the national legislation of the Parties and require certain measures aimed at insurance of the observance of competition legislation on commodities markets of the Parties States.



The Party, which received the specified information, is liable to use the information only for the purposes specified in the enquiry and has to observe all conditions of confidentiality in accordance with legislation of the State of the Party which received the information.



3. FCA will exchange experience of its integration into the European system of competition law with the FAS Russia.



4. Budgeting of cooperation will be exercised as follows: The receiving Party covers the expenses on accommodation, food and transport expenses inside the country of visit for the specialists of the other party. Travel expenses on the trip to the hosting country and back for its specialists are to be covered by the sending Party.



5. In case of need the Parties shall have additional consultations on issues concerning implementation of the Agreement and the Programme on cooperation.



6. The current Programme on cooperation is valid till December 31, 2009. Activities that have been started but not finished are to be taken into account when making a Programme for the next time period.



7. The Parties will agree the next Programme on cooperation till 31 December 2009.



Performed in Paris on the 17th October 2007 in two copies, in the English and Russian languages each, both are of equal force.



For the Federal Antimonopoly Service of the Russian Federation

Andrey Tsyganov, Deputy Head



For the Finnish Competition Authority

Juhani Jokinen, Director General