OREANDA-NEWS. April 29, 2009. Mr. Andrey Kashevarov, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (the FAS Russia) participated in the International Competition Law Forum in Warsaw, organized by the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (OCCP) of Poland under the honorary patronage of Ms. Neelie Kroes, EU Commissioner for competition, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The heads of competition authorities of Austria, Canada, Ireland, France, Holland, Portugal and Great Britain, as well as Mr. Philip Lowe, Director General for Competition of the European Commission, took part in the Forum.

The Forum was devoted to the current developments in competition protection legislation as well as to the issues of setting fines for breaches of antitrust laws, mergers in the retail trading sector, competition in the construction market and new technologies.

The opening session of the Forum was launched by Ms. Malgorzata Krasnodebska-Tomkiel, President of the OCCP, and by Mr. Philip Lowe, Director General of the Directorate General for competition of the European Commission. They presented introductory words about the effective instruments of competition protection in the modern economy.

The first session was devoted to discussion of issues on basic methods of combating cartels, application of criminal responsibility for participation in cartels, and also other sanctions for the violations of antitrust laws, including imposing fines.

The second part of the Forum was devoted to the measures on merger procedures and competition protection in the retail trading sector and possible threats.

The challenges of competition legislation of different countries and competition advocacy were in the agenda of the final session of the Forum' first day.

Mr. Richard Taylor, Deputy Commissioner of Competition Bureau of Canada, presented the introductory words about recent developments in Canadian competition legislation.

Then, the participants of the Forum considered the questions of application of new technologies for competition protection, and also problems of telecom sector protection, the role of the Internet and electronic networks in the modern economy and their value for competition development.

In the final fifth session of the Forum the basic attention was paid to the issues of antimonopoly policy in the construction sector, bid rigging in this sector and resale price maintenances within the framework of the single distribution network.

During this visit Mr. Andrey Kashevarov conducted the workings meetings with Mr. Philip Lowe - Director General of Directorate General for competition of the European Commission, Mr. Bruno Lassere - President of the Competition Authority of France, Ms. Malgorzata Krasnodebska-Tomkiel - President of the OCCP, Mr. Zoltan Nagy - President of the Hungarian Competition Authority, Mr. John Fingleton - Chief Executive of the Office of Fair Trading of the UK, Mr. Richard Taylor - Deputy Commissioner of Competition Bureau of Canada, Mr. Bernard Heitzer - President of the Bundeskartellamt, Mr. Manuel Sebastiao - President of the Competition Authority of Portugal, Mr. William Prasifka - Chairman of the Competition Authority of Ireland and Mr. Knut Eggum Johansen - Director General of the Norwegian Competition Authority. During the given meetings the competition policy issues as well as the participation of the Heads of competition authorities in the forthcoming BRIC International Competition Conference to be held in September this year in Kazan were touched upon.

Participation of the FAS Russia in this Forum allowed discussing actual issues of competition advocacy, combating cartels, mergers in the retail sector, exchange the antimonopoly regulation experience in the field of telecommunications and construction, that will contribute to the taking of optimum decisions aimed at strengthening the rules of fair competition.