FAS: IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A BALANCE BETWEEN THE INTERESTS OF ENTREPRENEURS AND THE PROTECTION OF CITIZENS FROM EXCESSIVE ADVERTISING

It was stated by the Deputy Head of FAS Russia Karina Taukenova at an expanded meeting of the Coordinating Council for Advertising under the Interstate Council for Antimonopoly Policy (ICAP)*

She noted that as part of the work carried out in this direction, the Authority actively holds meetings with representatives of the business community. So, in December 2022, an expanded meeting of the Expert Council on Advertising and Unfair Competition was held at the site of the FAS Russia, during which proposals for amendments to the Law on Advertising were discussed.

As a result of the meeting of the Expert Council, the Authority received a number of relevant proposals from industry representatives. Currently, the Antimonopoly Service is considering and evaluating the feasibility of their introduction into the existing legislation. But already now the regulator considers it necessary to adjust a number of norms that have lost their relevance.

These are requirements for advertising of remote sales and financial services. Also, according to FAS Russia, it is necessary to assess the existing requirements for advertising of medicines, advertising on vehicles and outdoor advertising.

As part of an expanded meeting of the Advertising Coordination Council, representatives of competition authorities and advertising associations discussed the features of advertising of financial services, protection of children from inappropriate advertising and state regulation, as well as self-regulation and public control over advertising.

Karina Taukenova noted that the work of the Coordinating Council allows participants to share accumulated experience, solve law enforcement issues in the field of advertising and objectively assess the need to amend legislation.

Representatives of public authorities and advertising community from Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Moldova and Russia participated in this meeting. The key objective of the Coordination Council's work is development of the advertising market and entrepreneurship in this area in the territories of the CIS member states.

For reference:

*The Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy was established in 1993 as part of cooperation in the field of antimonopoly policy in the CIS countries. Last September  the chairmanship of the ICAP was passed to the Russian Federation.