OKSANA KUZNETSOVA: ANTIMONOPOLY COMPLIANCE INCREASES LEGAL CULTURE AND REDUCES VIOLATIONS

FAS continues its efforts to expand preventative control measures

Currently, the work on implementing antimonopoly compliance is determined by the Order of the President of the Russian Federation on the main directions of the state policy towards competition development. Executing the Order, FAS stimulates companies to implement antimonopoly compliance and create a system of violations prevention by the authorities. On 19 April 2019, a Conference of the Pravo.ru portal discussed how to build up an efficient compliance system. FAS was represented by Deputy Head of FAS Legal Department Oksana Kuznetsova.

She pointed out that the share of antimonopoly violations by the authorities remains considerable.

The FAS speaker emphasized: “The picture is mixed. On the one hand, there are appeals to support business and support investment attractiveness of regions. On the other hand, the authorities themselves raise considerable administrative barriers for business and restrict competition-development conditions”.

Oksana Kuznetsova reminded that the Order of the President of the Russian Federation on the main directions of the state policy towards competition development set the task to reduce twofold antimonopoly violations by the authorities by 2020 in comparison with 2017. In 2018 antimonopoly violations by the authorities decreased by 14%.

“Apart from decreasing violations and increasing the level of legal culture both in the authorities and economic entities, antimonopoly compliance facilitates development of a positive corporate image, status improvement, particularly, on the market”, pointed out Oksana Kuznetsova

She reminded that last year the RF Government approved the Guidelines for establishing a system of violations prevention in the authorities. Around 80 regions presented draft documents to FAS on organizing antimonopoly compliance. They are at different states of readiness; at the end of the year FAS will evaluate the efficiency of the work undertaken by regions.

Finally, Oksana Kuznetsova thanked the Conference organizers for a constructive dialogue among the event participants and stated that such events are used by FAS for awareness-increasing efforts among companies, the result of which is reduction of antimonopoly violations.