OREANDA-NEWS. On December 08, 2008 A meeting on "Developing competition on the market of funeral services" took place on at the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Participants discussed in detail No.12027/27 Ruling of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of 23rd September 2008.

The meeting was opened by Timofey Nizhegorodtsev, the Head of the FAS Russia's Department for Control over Social Sphere and Commerce.

Valery Zakharov, the Head of the Krasnoyarsk Office of FAS Russia, in his report on the legal basis of competition on the market of ceremonial services, drew attention to the paramount importance of ensuring a healthy competition environment on this service market. In particular, he said: "By sustaining the decision of the Kranosyark OFAS Russia and recognizing its full validity, the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court drew a line in the case on abusing dominant position by a municipal enterprise - a specialized funeral service. Thus, the system of the antimonopoly bodies now has a possibility to ensure competition development on the market of ceremonial services by minimizing the involvement of the local self-government bodies and forcing them to execute only their statutory functions".

The following presenters shared their solutions to the problem with the meeting participants: Galina Kotova, the Director of "Ritualnaya Sluzhba" Ltd., Kransnoayrsk; Tamara Savina, a legal expert of the Union of Funeral Organizations and Crematoriums; Yury Shalyuko, the President of the "Forum" Association of the Ceremonial Service Companies, St Petersburg; Pavel Kodysh, the President of the Union of Funeral Organizations and Crematoriums; Elena Garus, the Deputy Director on Legal and Social Issues of the "COMBINAT SPETSOBSLUZHIVANIA" Municipal Unitary Enterprise, Tomsk; Ruslan Kinzekeev, the Chairman of the Council "The Bashkortostan Association of Production Enterprises"; and Aleksei Suloev, the General Director of "Ritual" State Unitary Enterprise, Moscow.

Summing up the meeting, its participants made a decision to form the FAS Russia's Expert Council on developing competition on the market of funeral (ceremonial) services.

To ensure correct and unified enforcement of antimonopoly legislation and in connection with the Ruling of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of 23rd September 2008, FAS Russia instructed its regional offices to organize inspections on compliance with the antimonopoly legislation on the market of funeral (ceremonial) services and complete analysis of the market.