FAS: CARTELS INCREASED IN 2019

Over 900 cases against cartels and other anti-competitive agreements were opened in 2019

In 2019, FAS opened 944 cases on anticompetitive agreements and prohibited concerted actions of economic entities, of which 424 cartel cases, predominantly bid-rigging collusions (320), and 810 decisions were passed on violating the antimonopoly law. A considerable part of them are agreements involving the authorities and local self-government bodies.

For instance, in 2019 the antimonopoly bodies opened 320 cases upon elements of violating Article 16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and made 292 decisions with regard to the facts of agreements with the authorities.

Head of FAS Anti-Cartel Department Andrey Tenishev pointed out: “Violations exposed by FAS show that cartel agreements take place in the course of any types of competitive bidding and in any sectors or economic activity. Cartels are one of the main challenges to financial soundness of the Russian economy, doing significant harm to it and leading to regress. Therefore, countering and suppressing such agreements is one of essential areas of work of the antimonopoly authority, especially amid fighting propagation of COVID-19”.

Reference:

Article 16 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” prohibits competition-restricting agreements or concerted actions of federal executive bodies, regional authorities, local self-government bodies, other bodies and organizations fulfilling the functions of the above bodies, as well as state non-budgetary funds, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.