Head of Federal Anti-Monopoly Service of Russia Igor Artemyev: Main task of FAS is a struggle against cartels

The main task of Federal antimonopoly service (FAS) of Russia remains struggle against cartels. Department head Igor Artemyev declared this today at the expanded FAS Board session.

Session of board was held in capital of Republic Tatarstan, Kazan. Prime Minister of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov took part in the event.

Addressing the participants of session, Igor Artemyev told about tasks of department in connection with acceptance of the second antimonopoly package of laws.

As he said, today presence of FAS should be more significant in such markets, as mineral oil, medical products and food stuffs markets.

He especially emphasized that development of electronic auctions should help to adjust a control over this sphere. According to Mr. Artemyev what is being done today in Tatarstan in a sphere of electronic auctions, - one of the best practice in the country. Effective work on electronic trading platform will assist to save the budget and fight cartels, FAS head of Russia considers.

Igor Artemyev informed, in particular, that today up to 50 % of violations in sphere of the antimonopoly law is committed by the authorities. And acceptance of the second antimonopoly package of laws would allow supervising, including, the authority itself. First of all, creation of equal conditions for business dealing by authorities « Today, this is indispensible for authorities », - Igor Artemyev said.

He informed that acceptance of the second antimonopoly package of laws enables to set penalties for officials, to make them answerable through courts, and expose to disqualification (disqualification is possible only at repeated infringement by the official of the antimonopoly law - for the term of up to three years).

Besides, Chief of FAS noted that the order of granting state or municipal preferences has legislatively changed. As he said, «for granting unreasonable preferences a strict responsibility» is in force.

Granting preferences is dangerous from the point of view of corruption even in FAS structure, Mr. Artemyev said, because the preferences are granted exclusively by FAS territorial bodies.

The second antimonopoly package of laws gives antimonopoly body the right to challenge the decision of courts (to apply to arbitration court with claims for recognition void the acts of legislature taken by state authority of federation subjects).

Head of FAS cited the following data: in first half-year 2009, FAS of Russia and its territorial bodies have initiated 4168 cases on infringements of the antimonopoly law (2695 cases were sued in the first half-year 2008).