COMPETITIVE AUTHORITIES OF RUSSIA AND AUSTRIA CELEBRATE ANNIVERSARY OF COOPERATION

The competition authorities of Russia and Austria cooperate actively on all aspects of joint antimonopoly agenda since 2009 when the Memorandum on Understanding between the Federal Antimonopoly Service and Austria’s Federal Competition Authority

On 13 December 2019, Stats-Secretary, Deputy Head of FAS Andrey Tsarikovsky and General Director of Austria’s Federal Competition Authority, Theodor Tanner  held talks in Vienna.

The parties pointed out that 2019 marks the ten-year anniversary of successful cooperation between the antimonopoly regulators of Russia and Austria.

One of the key items on the agenda was digitalization of the modern economy that puts new challenges to antimonopoly regulators. The parties emphasized the need to modernize the antimonopoly law amidst mainstreaming the digital. As an example, Andrey Tsarikovsky mentioned FAS experience in developing special software – the Big Digital Cat to expose and suppress cartels.

Theodor Tanner pointed out that Austria’s Federal Competition Authority is also undertaking robust efforts to develop a special system enabling to collect and analyze big data using special algorithms, expose potential violations and suppress unlawful operations.

Then the parties emphasized the significance of strengthening international cooperation for the most efficient response to the challenges of digital economy against competition. Andrey Tsarikovsky stated that cooperation between competition authorities plays a huge role in considering mergers, it helps shorten the period of petition consideration, evaluate merger consequences and avoid unreasonable risks.

Finally, the parties expressed hope for expanding collaboration in the next decade of the close relationship between the two bodies and agreed to continue intensive cooperation in various fields, including the events scheduled in 2020: Petersburg International Legal Forum, Petersburg International Economic Forum and the Competition Week in Kaliningrad on 14 - 17 September 2020.