WELCOME ADDRESS OF THE HEAD OF THE FAS RUSSIA MAXIM SHASKOLSKIY TO THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE VI INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE
Welcome address of the Head of the FAS Russia Maxim Shaskolskiy to the participants of the VI International Online Conference “Antimonopoly Policy: Science, Practice, Education”: “30th Anniversary of Antimonopoly Regulation in Russia”
Good morning, dear colleagues!
On New Year's Eve, the International Conference “Antimonopoly Policy: Science, Practice, Education” is traditionally held. This year it is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the institutional framework for antimonopoly regulation in the Russian Federation.
Within a relatively short time, the system of regulation of competitive relations, as well as the Russian economy as a whole, has undergone significant changes. The Russian Federation was able to create modern antimonopoly legislation that meets the best foreign practices, and successfully applies it.
Apart from antimonopoly regulation, the competence of Antimonopoly Authorities includes such important areas of state policy for the development of competition as the regulation of tariffs, public procurement, state defense orders, control of foreign investment and advertising, which makes it possible to ensure the pro-competitive nature of the modernization of these regulatory institutions.
Currently, paying great attention to the issues of competition advocacy, the Antimonopoly Authorities of the Russian Federation take part in the development of regulatory decisions in almost all spheres of the economy, adopted both at the federal and regional levels.
In the age of globalization of economic relations, due to its active position, the Russian antimonopoly agency was able to gain credibility at the international level. The initiatives of the FAS Russia are the subject of discussion at the leading international multilateral platforms.
The Service also takes an active part in the development of regional (CIS, the Eurasian Economic Union, BRICS) and bilateral economic cooperation in the field of competition protection.
Great attention is paid by the FAS to the formation of system of education in the field of competition law. With the support of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, more than 50 departments on competition law and antimonopoly regulation have been established throughout the country.
I would like to express my gratitude to Igor Artemyev for his great personal contribution to these achievements of the Federal Antimonopoly Service and development of competition in our country.
Nowadays, like the entire international competition community, the Russian antimonopoly agency has to respond to a number of challenges related to the global pandemic. It involves active application of protectionist measures, initiatives to introduce price regulation in competitive markets, and the expansion of the practice of purchasing from a single source.
The pandemic has also become another one catalyst for the development of digital services that change the configuration of traditional markets, create new markets, form whole eco-systems based on platform solutions, “big” data and concentrate various services that previously formed independent markets.
The nature of violations is also changing. In order to assist “offenders” the algorithms come that allow involving a large number of participants in the violation and ensuring control of their actions.
These changes go beyond the national economies and require an adequate antimonopoly response in all countries.
In the new economic conditions, the Government of the Russian Federation assigned a number of tasks to the Antimonopoly Authority, the solution of which should contribute to the continuation of economic growth, increasing the investment attractiveness and well-being of our citizens.
The International scientific and practical Conference organized by the FAS Russia with the support of the Skolkovo Foundation, which is already being held for the sixth time with a wide range of participants, is a platform where we, together with the scientific community and our foreign colleagues, are able to find answers to the challenges of the modern economy.
I hope that the online mode of the Conference used for the first time will allow us to have effective and interesting time.
I congratulate you on the upcoming New Year, thank you for your attention, keep well!