STAFF OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES IN SARATOV REGION LEARN HOW TO SUPPRESS ANTICOMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS

Specialists of the competition authority discussed specifics of investigating cartel cases, administrative and criminal liability and the practice of exposing them

On 15 and 16 April 2019, a training workshop for the staff of law enforcement bodies – “Antimonopoly control. Exposing and suppressing anticompetitive agreements” – was organized in Saratov Law Academy.

The event is a follow-up of the inter-departmental meeting on organizing cooperation between the law enforcement and regulating bodies to counter cartels, in Saratov on 12 March 2019. The meeting was chaired by Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Andrey Tenishev.

Deputies of the Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Anton Teslenko and Tahir Scherba; and Head of the Unit for Interaction with the Law Enforcement Bodies, FAS Anti-Cartel Department, Pavel Remesyuk, arrived to Saratov to train officers of the law enforcement bodies.

The staff of Saratov OFAS led by Head of Saratov OFAS Lyudmila Borisova and representatives of the Regional Prosecutor’s Office, Saratov Inter-District Environmental Prosecutor’s Office, the Military Prosecuting Authority of Saratov Military District, the Main Department of the Russia’s Ministry of Interior in the Saratov Region, and the Investigation Department of the Investigation Committee of Russia in the Saratov region.

Evgeny Vavilin, Vice-Rector for Research, Saratov State Law Academy, opened the workshop and welcomed the participants. He emphasized the importance of interaction between the law enforcement bodies and regulators to counter cartels and stressed the role of Saratov OFAS in creating a favourable economic climate in the region.

Lyudmila Borisova highlighted the significance of the event and pointed out at joint efforts of the agencies under the frame of inter-departmental working groups. She summed up that close cooperation is established between regional law enforcement bodies on all key aspects of developing regional economy.

Speaking in front of the representatives of the regional law enforcement bodies, Tahir Scherba described qualification issues in cases on anticompetitive agreements, their qualification and the criteria for allowing agreements, as well as liability for them.

Continuing the discussion on liability for anticompetitive agreements, Anton Teslenko highlighted some controversial aspects of criminal liability for representatives of economic entities and officials of the government authorities.

Pavel Remesyuk described cooperation of FAS with the law enforcement bodies.

Completing the workshop, representatives of the law enforcement bodies had a practical exercise on exposing and proving anticompetitive agreements.

The information given to the attendees generated their considerable interests as well as understanding of the complexity of FAS efforts to counter prohibited agreements and concerted actions.