FAS held the first session of the Expert Council for developing competition on the market of tobacco products

On 28 June 2016, FAS Expert Council for developing competition on the market of tobacco productshad its first meeting to discuss the pressing issues of competition on the market of selling tobacco products and government regulation of this sector.

Attendees included representatives of the Ministry of Health Care, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, sectoral associations, tobacco products manufacturers, and distributors. NGOs were represented by members of “OPORA Russia”, the International Confederation of Consumer Societies and the Union of consumer market participants.

The welcoming remarks were given by the Expert Council Chairman, Deputy Head of FAS Alexei Dotsenko. He expressed hope that the Expert Council will become a platform for finding balanced decisions on competition on the market of tobacco products.

Participants discussed the current trends on the tobacco products markets and the issues of industry regulation.

Speakers included the Board Chairman of the International Confederation of Consumer Societies, Dmitry Yanin; General Director of “Tabakprom” Association, Andrey Mezhonov; General Director of “Philipp Morris Sales & Marketing” Ltd., Sergey Slichenko; Vice-President of “J.T.I. Russia”, Segey Kiselyov; and Vice-President of “OPORA Russia” Non-Profit Partnership, Vladlen Maximov.

The Head of the Investigations Unit, FAS Fiscal Control Department, Sergey Kobzev, informed participants about the findings of a FAS survey of the tobacco products market, changes to the Law “On Protection of Competition” and implementing antimonopoly compliance.

Participants reached a unanimous opinion on the importance of creating an expert platform, and a dialogue between the authorities and the business community to find an effective balance enabling to reach the government objectives on decreasing the adverse consequences of smoking and at the same time creating the conditions for competition between bona fide market participants.