IGOR ARTEMIEV: OUR GOAL IS TO LAY DOWN PROCOMPETITIVE FOUNDATION OF RUSSIAN ECONOMY

The major goal at the modern stage of developing Russian economy is to replace the Soviet foundation with a new, pro-competitive one, said Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Igor Artemiev at Moscow Academic Economic Forum on 15 May 2019.

Igor Artemiev pointed out that we are now moving in two opposite directions. On the one hand, the antimonopoly law conforms to the best world practices, the National Competition Development Plan and the Road Map for Developing Competition in Sectors of the Economy and Regional Road Maps for Competition Development are adopted. On the other hand, governmentalization of the economy is going on.

Head of FAS outlined the following challenges facing FAS:

• Globalization and fading national boundaries of a lot of markets, historically instantaneous emergence of new markets and disappearing of some old markets;

•  Digitalization of cartels and other anti-competitive agreements;

• Challenges related to optimization of public administration in the economy, implementing essential social projects.

In particular, Igor Artemiev underlined the need to complete the transition of the contractual system to electronic procurement, implement new pricing models in public defence procurement and tariff regulation, and transform FAS by means of a transition from a purely protective function to a competition development function.

According to Igor Artemiev, many issues can be solved through cooperation between the regulator and representatives of academic community. Head of FAS reminded that following the arrangements between FAS and the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) in 2012, RAS Academic Council on Competition Protection was formed.

It helped to devise a scientifically-based position on the concept of the international anti-cartel convention, the national standard on antimonopoly regulation of intellectual property, evaluation of adverse impact of the major transnational IT companies on the Russian market of information technologies, etc.

In the opinion of Igor Artemiev, with the transition to the pro-competitive foundation of the Russian economy, it will be possible to talk about “Russian economic miracle”.