OREANDA-NEWS. On July 08, 2009 the Commission of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that "Gazprom Neft" OJSC violated Clause 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" by abusing dominant market position, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The FAS Russia's Commission investigated actions (lack of actions) of "Gazprom Neft" OJSC and discovered the facts of recalling goods from circulation, which resulted in increasing prices and setting discriminatory conditions for separate counteragents for selling oil products. Unreasonable increase of wholesale prices and unreasonable conditions for company's selling oil products from oil refineries have resulted (can result) in infringing the interests of the buyers of oil products and restricting competition on small-scale wholesale and retail oil products markets, leading to elimination of independent economic entities from the markets.

FAS Russia registered violations by "Gazprom Neft" OJSC on the market of motor petrols, aviation fuel and lubrication materials and diesel fuel in the first half of 2009.

Upon investigating cases and finding that a company violated the antimonopoly legislation, FAS Russia issues a determination, which specifies mandatory requirements to restore competitive conditions.

Under the Code on Administrative Violations, violating the antimonopoly legislation constitutes the grounds for imposing a fine upon legal entities from 1 to 15% of the company's proceeds in the year, preceding the year when the violation was committed.

Determining the fine, FAS Russia might take into account, along with other circumstances, the fact that "Gazprom Neft" OJSC had already violated the antimonopoly legislation.