A meeting of the Heads of competition authorities of BRICS countries in South Africa

On 13 November 2015, the top event of the programme of the IV International BRICS Competition Conference in South Africa was a meeting of the Heads of the competition authorities of BRICS countries, where the parties determined the main vectors of further cooperation for the next two years.

The Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) Igor Artemiev emphasized the importance of the forthcoming work in the BRICS format, including signing a Memorandum of Cooperation between the competition authorities of BRICS countries and organizing efforts of the Working Groups, aimed at studying competition issues in the socially important sectors of the economy.

Igor Artemiev proposed that representatives of the competition authorities of BRICS countries should meet on a regular basis at global forums and events no less than twice a year.

The parties agreed to finalize intra-state approvals of the draft Memorandum in order to sign it in spring 2016 in Russia in the course of St Petersburg International Legal Forum.

Russia also proposed to form a unified platform for exchanging non-confidential information and knowledge in the field of supporting competition on the socially important markets of BRICS countries, engaging broad academic circles. In Russia such research centre shall be the Institute of Law and Development - HSE-Skolkovo. All competition authorities of BRICS countries supported the idea.

At the end of the meeting, the Heads of BRICS competition authorities signed a joint declaration (the Declaration by the leaders of the competition authorities of BRICS countries outlining the main areas of cooperation in the BRICS format and the mechanisms of its implementation).