OREANDA-NEWS. May 06, 2009. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defence, Emergency Situations and Relief of Natural Disasters (MChS Russia) and the Centre for Search-and-Rescue and Environmental Operations ("TsASEO" OJSC) violated the antimonopoly legislation, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

One of the cases, to which MChS Russia was a defendant, was initiated under Article 15 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (which prohibits competition-restricting acts and actions of the authorities). MChS Russia issued orders that contravened the acts adopted at a higher level, and, referring to the documents that do not constitute normative legal acts (various qualification requirements, guidelines, etc.), created serious obstacles to economic activities of the market participants involved in production, processing, transportation and storage of oil and oil products.

The second case was initiated under Article 16 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (which prohibits competition-restrictive agreements and concerted actions between the authorities and economic entities). The defendants were MChS Russia and "TsASEO" OJSC - the organization that has dominant position on the market of servicing hazardous production facilitates (for possible spills of oil and oil products).

Upon processing the cases, FAS Russia will issue determinations to MChS Russia on eliminating the antimonopoly violations.

"TsASEO" OJSC is facing a turnover fine from 1% to 15 % of the total proceeds of the violator gained by selling the goods on the market where the violation was committed, in the year preceding the year when the violation was discovered.