FAS and UNCTAD are devising the procedure for work of the Discussion Group on countering restrictive business practices of transnational corporations

Russian antimonopoly body and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) will hold discussions of the Toolkit with competition authorities from different countries around the world

On 20 September 2017, Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Igor Artemiev and Head of UNCTAD’s Competition Policy and Consumer Protection Branch, Teresa Moreiraheld talks during the Competition Week in Russia organized in Veliky Novgorod.

With active backing by UNCTAD Secretariat, the FAS initiative to draft the Toolkit for international cooperation between competition authorities to counter restrictive business practices of transnational corporations and violations of the competition rules was supported at the 16^th session of UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on law and policy in Geneva.

Teresa Moreira emphasized that the FAS initiative had received absolutely positively at the meeting in Geneva, which is a solid foundation for further dialogue.

“Today FAS is actively involved in creating the Discussion Group on the issue and we find it expedient to discuss the initiative at bilateral meetings, regional events and inform representatives of the competition authorities from different countries of the world about unfair practices of transnational companies and possibilities to suppress such actions”, said Igor Artemiev. Having studied FAS proposals, UNCTAD representatives underlined that they correlate with their vision of the Group work.  UNCTAD has started discussing FAS initiative at bilateral meetings.

As Lesya Davydova, Head of FAS Department for International Economic Cooperation, informed, on 19 September the BRICS Steering Committee on Antimonopoly Policy had already looked into a possibility to discuss the draft Toolkit at regional events of BRICS competition authorities; for instance, at  the African and Latin American Competition Forums. FAS is conducting such discussions at the events of the CIS member-states on antimonopoly policy.

Head of FAS Igor Artemiev suggested summing up the results of the efforts in this area on the quarterly basis. Teresa Moreira fully supported the proposal, stating that the reporting system is essential and will enable to structure the work. The parties agreed to discuss a draft “Road Map” for the planned actions in mid-October 2017.

Finally, Igor Artemiev pointed out that should the results of the work of the Discussion Group be positive, FAS will be actively supporting establishment of UNCTAD Working Group on strengthening international cooperation and formalizing the Toolkit as an Appendix to the UN Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices at the United Nations Conference to Review All Aspects of the Set in 2020.