OREANDA-NEWS. October 23, 2009. The Office of Rosselkhoznadzor in the Karelia Republic, the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenetsky Autonomous District (Rosselkhoznadzor in the Karelia Republic) informed the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) on eliminating the antimonopoly violations (unreasonable requirements for evaluation of the quarantine phyto-sanitary conditions), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 28th August 2009, FAS Russia found that Rosselkhoznadzor in the Karelia Republic OJSC violated Clause 2 Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (competition-restricting acts of the state bodies) and issued a determination to eliminate the violation.

The case was initiated upon a petition of "Setles" Ltd., a subsidiary of a Finnish-Swedish timber company "Stora Еnso". It claimed that the Office of Rosselkhoznadzor and the "National Plant Quarantine Centre" Federal State Enterprise ("VNIIKR" FGU) unlawfully forced the company to obtain and pay for the evaluations of the phyto-sanitary conditions of quarantine products.

Investigating the case, FAS Russia established that the Office of Rosselkhoznadzor in the Karelia Republic unlawfully set a letter indicating that "VNIIKR" FGU must issue evaluations of the phyto-sanitary conditions of quarantine products for each lot of quarantine products subject to ship by a single means of transport.

Other offices of the phyto-sanitary conditions of quarantine products operate under a different scheme, and issue several phyto-sanitary or quarantine certificates on the basis of a single evaluation by "VNIIKR" FGU.

On 21st September 2009, the Office of Rosselkhoznadzor in the Karelia Republic, the Arkhangelsk Region and the Nenetsky Autonomous District withdrew the letter.

"The goal of the Antimonopoly Service is to suppress such violations by the state bodies, because such actions increase expenses of economic entities and the period for issuing permissions. As a result, officials that should endeavour to protect the well-being of citizens, abuse their power, pursuing their own private goals", said Lyudmila Solontsova, the Head of the FAS Russia's Department for Control over the Authorities.