ANTIMONOPOLY AUTHORITIES OF RUSSIA AND TAJIKISTAN DISCUSSED IDENTIFYING AND SUPPRESSING ANTICOMPETITIVE AGREEMENTS
14-09-2023 | 14:54
The two-day webinar is aimed, among other things, at sharing experience in the field of digital transformation of cartel investigations
Head of the Anti-cartel Department of FAS Russia, Grigory Radionov, spoke about the main priorities of the authorities’ activities in combating cartels and other agreements restricting competition. These include suppressing bid rigging, ensuring the effective implementation of national projects, control in socially significant markets, expanding the use of digital tools to combat cartels and interaction with law enforcement agencies to promptly suppress anticompetitive violations.
Thus, in the first half of 2023, FAS Russia opened 139 cases on violation of antimonopoly legislation on the grounds of concluding competition restricting agreements, illegal coordination of economic activities and implementation of concerted actions. Violations were identified, among other things, within the framework of the implementation of national projects "Safe quality roads", "Housing and urban environment", "Healthcare", "Demography", "Education", "Culture" and "Ecology".
Representatives of FAS Russia also shared their experience in the development and use of special software for identifying digital cartels and bid rigging. Today, when investigating cartels, FAS Russia uses the Anti-Cartel AIS. The information system development project involves the introduction of new functionality, including automated analysis of trading on a daily basis and a risk-based approach, as well as integration with other information systems and databases of authorities and companies.
During the webinar, Anton Teslenko, Head of the Fiscal Control Department of FAS Russia, shared his experience of digital transformation in the investigation of anticompetitive agreements. He noted that the authority continues to develop digital methods of combating them.
In addition, Anton Teslenko spoke in detail about the interaction of FAS Russia with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors in identifying and suppressing facts of restriction of competition and the established practice of bringing to criminal liability for concluding cartel agreements.
During the meeting, representatives of FAS Russia and the State Antimonopoly Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan noted the importance of interaction between the antimonopoly authorities of neighboring states and agreed to expand areas of cooperation and deepen practical interaction.