THE HEAD OF FAS RUSSIA EVALUATED THE RESULTS OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE BRICS COMPETITION AUTHORITIES FOR 2020-2021

Today, the BRICS competition authorities continue to cooperate closely on all strategically important issues.

So, in 2020 the Joint statement was adopted on consolidating efforts to support competition and combat the negative economic consequences of COVID-19. The goal is to ensure timely measures of antimonopoly response and overcome the socio-economic consequences of the pandemic in the BRICS countries.

Currently, the competition authorities have focused their attention on socially significant markets within the framework of the established BRICS Working Groups: pharmaceutical, food, automotive, digital, and also expanded their cooperation in the field of cross-border cartels. In 2021 an extensive study on the automotive market has been prepared. The Guidelines of the BRICS Competition Authorities on digital markets is being prepared. The systematization of leniency programs is in progress as well.

The BRICS competition authorities continue to inform each other about global cases in their respective jurisdictions. It is necessary for a more thorough assessment of possible consequences in the national markets of the BRICS countries.

Cooperation is expanding in the field of suppression of anti-competitive practices committed by large multinational corporations, including technological ones. The formation of joint positions on specialized international platforms continues.

With the assistance and support of the BRICS countries, large-scale work has been initiated at the UNCTAD site within the framework of the Working Group on Cross-Border Cartels. Maxim Shaskolskiy stressed that the result of this activity will be the creation of global standards for combating transnational anti-competitive practices and the development of the UN guidelines on international cooperation in the investigation of cross-border cartels.

For reference:

The Conference is the largest international event in the field of competition policy of the BRICS countries. The first Conference was held in 2009 in Kazan on the initiative of the FAS Russia, since then it has been held regularly once every two years alternately in each of the BRICS countries.

In 2019 the Conference was held in Moscow. In 2021 the meeting was organized by the antimonopoly authority of the People's Republic of China - the State Administration for Market Regulation of the People's Republic of China.

The event allows us to consider specific issues of competition development in the countries of the association at a high level, as well as to develop approaches and determine further joint actions to prevent and suppress violations of antimonopoly legislation in socially significant BRICS markets.

The cooperation of the anti-competitive authorities of Russia, Brazil, India, China and South Africa is carried out on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding between the BRICS competition authorities on cooperation in the field of competition law and policy  of 19.05.2016.

Official website of the Conference: http://www.brics-icc2021.org.cn/ENBRICS/gydh/