OREANDA-NEWS. On June 16, 2009 The Expert Council on Railway Transport at the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) discussed the Regulations for Non-Discriminatory Access to Railway Transportation and Railway Transport Infrastructure, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The Regulations were devised by FAS Russia to execute Clause 11 of the Section "Action Plan for Implementing the Structural Reform Programme for Railway Transport, approved by No.1094-r Order of the Government of the Russian Federation" of 10th August 2006, and are based on Part 3 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition".

Along with the members of the Expert Council, representatives of federal executive bodies (the Russian Ministry of Transport and the Federal Tariff Services) and representatives of "RZhD" [Russian Railways] OJSC took part in the discussion.

The Expert Council emphasized the importance of adopting the Regulations. It was decided to take as a basis the draft project of the Regulations for Non-Discriminatory Access to Railway Transportation and Railway Transport Infrastructure in General Use, prepared and forwarded for approval to the federal executive bodies on 29th April 2009.

The Expert Council made the following decisions:

- take the above draft project as the basis;

- review the draft Regulation, paying attention to the importance of structuring the document with due account of the activities, to which non-discriminatory access is provided; and specificity of compliance with non-discriminatory access Regulations for access to the market and production capacities. The draft Regulation should also cover access to natural monopolies (including experience of processing antimonopoly cases); give detailed listing of the works (services) provided under the conditions of non-discriminatory access; set legal grounds for applying the term "equal", "unobstructed" and "non-discriminatory" access, used in various legal acts; define specifics of interaction between related entities of natural monopolies, etc.

Members of the Expert Council can forward proposals for improving the draft project to FAS Russia by 1st July 2009 to bring up the projects for a new discussion.