OREANDA-NEWS. May 26, 2009. The first meeting of the Expert Council on developing competition on the market of funeral services at the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) took place, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The meeting was attended by the participants of the market of funeral services.

The Expert Council discussed modernization of the laws regulating legal relations in funeral services, including introduction of the amendments to the Federal Law "On Burying and Ceremonial Services". The amendments are aimed at developing competition on the markets of погребения and related services by ensuring equal access of economic entities to carrying out the works at the burial sites. FAS Russia proposed amendments and corrections to the law with due account of the position of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation, expressed in No. 12027/27 Findings of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of 23rd September 2008.

Proposals on improving the Federal Law "On Burying and Ceremonial Services" were presented by Pavel Kodysh, the President of the Union of Ceremonial Organizations and Crematories.

In a nutshell, the proposals included the following:

- ensure clear understanding of the concepts by excluding different interpretations in view of the adopted state standards for terminology in ceremonial services;
- legalize entrepreneurship in ceremonial services;
- expand the scope of reference of the executive bodies of the constituent territories of the Russian Federation for organization of ceremonial services and clearly define their functions;
- clearly define the functions of specialized services and municipalities;
- restore licensing of ceremonial services;
- adopt federal regulations and the national professional standards for the sector of ceremonial services.

Alexey Suloev, the Deputy Head of the Moscow Department for Consumer Market and Services, told about the main problems of the market of ceremonial services in Moscow.

Summing up the discussion, the Expert Council approved in general the FAS Russia's work on improving the legislation on в похоронной деятельности. The expert Council will also form a Working Group, comprising representatives of the federal ministries and agencies, regional authorities, and companies and organizations involved in ceremonial services.