OREANDA-NEWS. November 09, 2009. For the next year the priorities of the work of Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) will be control of horizontal collusions, reduction of cases on abusing dominant position and decreasing penalties for abusing dominance in part related to infringing of the interests of other companies by the companies that dominate the market, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

It was stated by the Head of FAS Russia Igor Artemyev on 29th October 2009 at the conference "Antimonopoly Regulation", organized by the "Vedomosti" newspaper jointly with the "promoting Development of Competition" Non-Commercial Partnership.

"It is cartel collusions that cause the most harm to the national economy and society in general, that is why we attach such importance to control of cartels ", explained Igor Artemyev.

It is complies with the recommendations given earlier by the Competition Committee at the meeting at the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

Presenting the novelties of the "second antimonopoly package of laws" to the professional community, the Head of FAS Russia also pointed out that the Code on Administrative Violations specifies smaller fines for abusing dominant position by the companies whose market share is less than 35%, provided such companies are not included in "collectively dominating" the market.

Smaller "turnover" fines will apply to the companies that gain more than 75% of income from selling the goods on the market where the violations was committed (the so-called "single-product" companies). The fines will be from 0,3 to 3% (instead of 1 - 15%).

Igor Artemyev emphasized to the audience introduction of "turnover" fines for anticompetitive coordination of economic activities.