First talks between competition authorities at ICN Conference in Singapore
On 26 April 2016 during ICN Pre-International Competition Forum in Singapore (the Republic of Singapore) the FAS delegation, led by Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Tsyganov, held talks with World Bank representatives to discuss the accomplished projects and the prospects and opportunities for developing bilateral cooperation. World Bank representatives emphasized significant FAS contribution in joint projects and were presented FAS proposals on further advance ment of cooperation.
On the same day FAS representatives were in discussions with representatives of India's Competition Commission, where the delegation met the new ICC Chair, Devender Kumar Sikri. The parties discussed common areas of work, both bilateral and in the BRICS format. They emphasized special importance of socially significant markets in the BRICS economies (the pharmaceutical sector, car manufacturing, housing construction, oil and petrochemicals, international telecommunications in roaming, retail chains). These areas should be of absolute priority for the competition authorities. Andrey Tsyganov informed his Indian colleagues about FAS current efforts, the new FAS functions to control public defence procurement and tariff regulation, and about adopting the “forth antimonopoly package”. The Russian delegation also invited the Indian colleagues to take part in the forthcoming events in Russia, including the VI Petersburg International Legal Forum and “Competition Days in Russia”.
The parties also discussed the planned joint projects, including the concept of BRICS Working Group on studying violations of the antimonopoly law on socially significant markets in BRICS countries, the idea of creating an Information Platform on socially significant sectors of the economy, and the project on “Regulating the food industry: a new model of competition and innovations policy for BRICS”. They also looked into practical aspects of cooperation between FAS and the Competition Commission of India, particular, exchanging information materials on antimonopoly policy, taking part in FAS-organized events (including, training sessions and workshops at FAS Centre for Education and Methodics in Kazan, International Working Groups), cooperation at international platforms, etc. Special attention was paid to the prospects of signing the Memorandum of Understanding in the field of cooperation between the competition authorities of BRICS economies.
ICN Pre-International Competition Forum ended with a meeting of representatives of the competition authorities from BRUCS economies. Launching the meeting, the parties congratulated the representatives of India with the start of India’s BRICS Chairmanship in 2016.
The agenda items included activities of BRICS Working Group on studying violations of the antimonopoly law on socially-important markets in BRICS economies, the idea of creating an Information Platform on socially significant sectors of the economy, and the study findings on food markets in BRICS. The parties highlighted fulfilling the arrangements reached at the meeting of the Heads of BRICS competition authorities at the IV BRICS Competition Conference in Durban (South Africa) in November 2015: readiness to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the competition authorities of BRICS economies under the frame of Petersburg International Legal Forum.
Andrey Tsyganov emphasized how essential is signing the Memorandum for further development of cooperation between BRICS competition authorities.
Andrey Tsyganov informed his colleagues about the II International Research-to-Practice Conference on “Antimonopoly Policy: Science, Practice, Education” to be held in December and invited the academic communities from BRICS countries to take part in it (on 5-6 December 2016).
Summing up, BRICS representatives expressed hope for further productive cooperation and confirmed the readiness to sign the Memorandum of Understanding between the competition authorities of BRICS economies at Petersburg International Legal Forum, Petersburg International Legal Forum that will take place on 18 - 21 May 2016 in St Petersburg (the Russian Federation).