THE FIFTH ANTIMONOPOLY PACKAGE DETERMINES A NEW VISION FOR DEVELOPING THE ANTIMONOPOLY POLICY

New antimonopoly regulation should focus on the platforms that can restrict markets development

A joint session of FAS and the Antimonopoly Experts Association on 19 April 2018 devoted to discussing new initiatives of the antimonopoly authority and draft explanations in different areas of regulation.

The main item on the agenda was a draft on amendments to the antimonopoly law on regulating digital economy. The participants concluded that advancement of competition policy should concentrate on internet-platforms since they can restrict development of goods and digital markets.

Also, it is necessary to react to the challenges of globalization and the forms of strengthening market power when it is not based on the output of particular goods or products. Big data are currently the basis of market power.

Then representatives of the antimonopoly body and the Association discussed application of the antimonopoly law to intellectual property. According to Head of FAS Legal Department Artem Molchanov, the subject is adjacent to the fifth antimonopoly package.

“Our joint efforts generated explanations concerning this field of applying the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”. The fact that such explanations are needed means that there are approaches and practices that are not covered by the immunities specified in the antimonopoly law. It will be the first stage of big work towards changing the law on intellectual property”, saidArtem Molchanov. He added that draft explanations will be considered by FAS Presidium in the near future.

The next joint meeting of FAS and the Antimonopoly Experts Association will be at the end of May 2018.