The main vectors for equal conditions of doing business via the Internet

The Expert Council of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) on Developing Competition in Information Technologies was in session on 1 March 2016.

The meeting was opened by Deputy Head of FAS Anatoly Golomolzin: “Creating conditions for operations related to rendering services using the Internet is the most pressing right now. Recently the relevant instructions were issued by the President of the Russian Federation. In particular, “submit proposals on amendments to the law designed to ensure equal conditions for doing business by companies in the Russian Federation using the Internet” (Clause 2 of the “List of Instructions from the President of the Russian Federation given on the basis of the meeting with participants of the First Russian “Internet Economy” Forum on 22 December 2015”). Our task today is to expose the main issues and determine the vectors for further development and improvement of the existing law”.

Deputy Head of FAS Department for Regulating Communications and Information Technologies, Alexei Lutsky, discussed transferring tender procedures in the electronic form for public and municipal procurement of goods, works, and services. The second issue raised by him was shaping the common confidence space to verify and recognize electronic signatures.

The Head of FAS Department for Regulating Communications and Information Technologies, Elena Zaeva commented that “the service of electronic signatures at the moment is inconvenient for everyone. It involves significant financial costs and time spending. The electronic confidence space for creating equal conditions for operations in the Internet must make use of digital signature more comfortable”.

Elena Zaeva also made a report on introducing taxation and customs duty threshold for purchases in foreign Internet stores.

Then Deputy Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Trade, Natalia Sharavskaya, reported about  putting incomplete and outdated versions of basic prescribing information with the date of issuing and the dame of amending  in the State Register of Medicinal Drugs that contains information about the drug name, manufacturer and pharmacological properties, as well as improving the Register-Keeping Procedure (approved by an order of the Ministry for Health Care and Social Development).

Finally, the Head of FAS Information Technologies Unit, Alexei Zhadnov, made a presentation about “Online aggregators: rights, obligations and responsibility”.

“FAS asks to send your proposals on the issues outlined today as well as on other difficulties associated with working on the market in question within a month, with all necessary links / references and clarifications for further analysis and refinement by the Expert Council”, summed up Anatoly Golomolzin.