OREANDA-NEWS. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that the Regional Tariff Service (RTS) of the Nizhny Novgorod province violated Article 15 (which forbids competition-restrictive acts and actions of the federal executive bodies, public authorities of constituent territories of the Russian Federation, local self-government bodies, other agencies executing the functions of above bodies or organizations…) and Article 17 (that sets antimonopoly bidding requirements) of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" in the tender for selecting the provider of last resort in the Nizhny Novgorod province, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case against RTS was initiated upon the complaint of the "Nizhegorodskaya Sales Company" ("NSC") OJSC.

RTS violated the law by organizing a tender for granting the status of the provider of last resort before the relevant Regulations were approved by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy. Furthermore, RTS certified the tender documentation, including the Regulations of the tender for selecting the provider of last resort in the Nizhny Novgorod province, which were inconsistent with the Regulations on Developing Retail Electricity Markets approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 31.08.2006.

RTS of the Nizhny Novgorod province did not allow "NSC" OJSC to bid for obtaining the status of the provider of last resort because the latter failed to observe the Regulations certified by RST.

FAS Russia intends to request the Arbitration Court to render the act of RTS of the Nizhny Novgorod province, which certified the Regulations on the tender for selecting the provider of last resort in the province, null and void and disaffirm the tender results.