COMPETITION AUTHORITIES OF RUSSIA AND BELARUS FORM A JOINT EXPERT COUNCIL

On 22 August 2019, Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service Igor Artemiev and Head of the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade, the Republic of Belarus, Vladimir Koltovich, signed a Memorandum to form an Expert Council

According to Head of FAS, establishing a joint Expert Council will be another step towards strengthening collaboration between the agencies form the two countries.

“We carry out a lot of joint investigations under the frame of the Customs Union, hold consultations on particular cases and serious economic issues, emerging not only between our countries but also in the global sense”, said Igor Artemiev.

In his view, FAS has the closest relationships with the Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade [MART] of the Republic of Belarus in terms of international inter-departmental integration – not only formal but also at the interpersonal, hearty level.

“Establishing the Expert Council, we’d like that people who have special knowledge join our work in the bilateral format and help resolve the most complex economic issues”, emphasized Head of FAS.

He explained that the joint efforts will cover a number of markets: medicines, manufacturing, the eclectic power industry, food products, trade, advertising, etc. The Council’s agenda is expected to be ambitious and intensive.

“As a result of our joint efforts, we learn novelties from each other, which only improves the quality of our work”, concluded Igor Artemiev.

Vladimir Koltovich highlighted that “both antimonopoly bodies have a common and sincere intention to make the world better: solve the tasks on competition development, to do which our authorities are formed. Now we are moving in parallel with integration of the Union State. In this context, our actions confirm the need to open markets, harmonize the law and robustly accumulate experiences countering unfair practices of transnational corporations”.

He expressed gratitude to FAS for collaboration and pointed out that the event will further assist cooperation between the agencies.

In February 2019, the Governments of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus signed an Agreement on Cooperation in the field of competition protection. The Agreement provides for exchanging confidential information, conducting joint investigations and inspections, and generally working within the common boundaries of the Union State in many spheres.

Background:

The Memorandum on establishing the Joint Russian-Belorussian Expert Council on developing competition in socially important markets states that the purpose is to discuss competition development on the markets of the Union State of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus that are of high social significance. The Council’s decisions will be of advisory nature. The Council will submit them to FAS and MART to be taken into account when making decisions aimed at developing competition on the relevant markets.

The main goals and objectives of the Expert Council are:

Support competition development and protection, particularly, help preventing and suppressing monopolistic activity and unfair competition on socially important markets;

Evaluate information presented for consideration of the Expert Council by its members, possibly issuing expert opinions;

Draft recommendations on improving control over compliance with the antimonopoly law of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on socially important markets;

Interact with national authorities and (or) participants of the relevant markets, business-communities to improve the antimonopoly law of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus;

Facilitate mass media coverage of the pressing issues of competition development and compliance with the antimonopoly law of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus on socially important markets.