VLADIMIR MISHELOVIN: PRICE AND QUALITY OF PRODUCTS ARE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF COMPETITION

FAS supports additional procedures to verify alcohol quality

On 6 February 2018, Head of FAS Fiscal Control Department, Vladimir Mishelovin, participated and made concluding remarks in the Session on “Quality – state control and producer responsibility” at the XIII AlcoCongress during PRODEXPO.

He stated that the problem outlined in the Conference agenda – “Quality: Aspects and Control” and determined by a considerable volume of counterfeit and illegal alcohol products in circulation adversely affects development of competition and creates actual threats to consumer health and safety.

“Competition for product quality is of special significance for bona fide players on regulated markets, where there is a system of restrictions for product promotions, sales, and price recruitments”, pointed out Vladimir Mishelovin. “Under such conditions, one of the global industry objectives is familiarizing with objective information about goods, their quality and consumer properties”.

According to the representative of the antimonopoly authority, these are the reasons why FAS supports inspections of alcohol product quality to protect consumers as well as bona fide market participants.

Head of FAS Fiscal Control Department explained that FAS finds useful the work of specialized accredited laboratories in the subjects of the Russian Federation, that put a barrier to entry of defective and sometime life-threatening products to the market. To avoid additional burden upon bona fide suppliers, the Product Quality Regulations must include a number of preferences. For instance, if a supplier repeatedly confirms the quality of its products, it has the right to supply the goods without additional inspections. An important element of the system of control over alcohol products circulation is public control practices in some regions.

Vladimir Mishelovin also discussed the National Plan for Developing Competition in the Russian Federation up to 2020, approved by an Order of the President of the Russian Federation.

“The Presidential Order is a Competition Decree, a programme document for strategic planning of developing market economy, which sets institutional preconditions for advancing competition in the Russian Federation”, emphasized the speaker.

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The National Competition Development Plan is already being implemented on alcohol markets under the fame of the relevant Action Plan.  FAS Expert Council formed a Working Group in order to create “common rules of the game” – the Competition Development Standard on alcohol markets and public control over turnover and quality in a subject of the Russian Federation”.