ROUND TABLE ON ENFORCMENET IN CHINA
Deputy Head of FAS Department for International Economic Cooperation, Anna Pozdnyakova, discussed challenges facing competition authorities and FAS achievements
On 1 August 2018, the programme of China Competition Policy Forum in Beijing (China) included a Round Table on Enforcement. FAS was represented by Deputy Head of the Department for International Economic Cooperation, Anna Pozdnyakova.
The first round of questions concerned challenges facing competition authorities at the modern age. Anna Pozdnyakova pointed out that recently FAS has observed trends that form challenges not only for Russian competition authority but also for the whole competition community. It concerns a broad dissemination of digital technologies and increasing number of global mergers and acquisitions.
“The trends under discussion today at many international platforms require efficient antimonopoly responses. Obviously, international cooperation between competition authorities plays an important role like never before. In this context, FAS is undertaking efforts to institutionalize such interaction by formalizing cooperation mechanisms and tools at the international level. One of such initiatives is drafting a Toolkit for international cooperation between competition authorities to counter restrictive business practices of large transnational corporations that is under discussion at UNCTAD”, said the speaker.
The second round of questions during the Round Table focused on enforcement efforts that competition authorities consider as their achievements. In particular, Deputy Head of the Department for International Economic Cooperation described new approaches to the merger between two agro-technology giants - “Bayer” and “Monsanto”. FAS used brand new mechanisms for analyzing the agro-technologies market and took into account not only the actual presence of the companies in the market but also the short- and mid-term strategies for developing the integrated entity. In view of the high innovative potential of the merging companies, FAS approved the deal under particular conditions that include providing non-discriminatory access of Russian players to digital platforms of the integrated company and transferring the key technologies in order to develop competition on the market in Russia.
Finally, Anna Pozdnyakova said that investigating the Bayer/Monsanto merger, FAS was engaged in effective cooperation with BRICS competition authorities based on the confidentiality waivers signed by the companies.
“When we considered the Bayer/Monsanto merger, we had multiple consultations with our BRICS partners, exchanging ideas and opinions with regard to use of methodological approaches for considering this global deal as well as possible conditions that can be set for the companies in order to develop competition on the agro-technological market in our countries”, summed up the speaker.
Other Round Table participants included: Maureen K. Ohlhausen, Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, the US; Roger Alford, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, US Department of Justice; Carles Esteva Mosso, Deputy Director General Mergers, DG Competition, the European Commission; Vsu Lefu, Deputy General Director, Administrative Bureau, the State Administration on Market Supervision, China; Tembinkosi Bonakele, Chairman, South African Competition Commission; Alexandre Cordeiro Macedo, Superintendant, Administrative Council for Economic Defence of Brazil; Esteban Greco, Chairman, Argentinean National Competition Protection Commission; Smita Jhingran, Secretary, India Competition Commission; Brent Snyder, Chief Executive Officer, Hong Kong Competition Commission. The event was moderated by Prof Wang Yong, Director of Competition Policy Centre, University of International Business and Economics, China.