FAS REVEALED ANTICOMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS IN THE FIELD OF TRANSPORTATION OF MSW
The actions of violators could lead to an increase in citizens' expenses for utilities
FAS Russia has recognized a regional operator for the management of solid municipal waste (MSW) Clean City LLC and the regional transporter of such waste Company Ecosystem LLC violated the antimonopoly legislation*.
The companies have entered into an anticompetitive agreement. The result of its implementation was the restriction of competition when bidding in 2019 for the provision of services for the transportation of MSW in the Kurgan region. The total value of the concluded contracts amounted to 750.6 million rubles.
Besides, FAS Russia recognized regional MSW transporters as violating antimonopoly legislation: Ecosystem LLC, Transservice LLC, Turaservice-N LLC, Ecotrans LLC, PTK LLC**.
The organizations have concluded a competition-limiting agreement in order to maintain prices at auction. The auctions were held for the right to provide services for the transportation of MSW in the Sverdlovsk, Kurgan, Tyumen, Murmansk regions and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area – Yugra in 2019-2021.
The total value of the contracts concluded, during which the anti-competitive agreement was implemented, amounted to 6.9 billion rubles.
FAS Russia notes that bidding for the provision of services for the transportation of MSW with violations of antimonopoly legislation leads to an overestimation of the price for the provision of such services and an increase in citizens’ expenses for utilities payment.
Violators face turnover fines in accordance with the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation ***. The materials of the antimonopoly case will be transferred to law enforcement agencies to resolve the issue of initiating a criminal case.
* Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Article 17 of Federal Law of 26.07.2006 No. 135-FZ "On Protection of Competition"
** Paragraph 2 of Part 1 of Article 11 of Federal Law of 26.07.2006 No. 135-FZ "On Protection of Competition"
*** Part 2 of Article 14.32 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation