OREANDA-NEWS. November 09, 2010. The Commission of the Moscow Office of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (Moscow OFAS Russia) found that “ASHAN” Ltd. and “ATAK” Ltd. created discriminatory conditions on the market of food products, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The case against retail chains is based on the signs of violating the antimonopoly norms of the Federal Law “On Trade” and was opened upon an initiative of Moscow OFAS Russia.

Analysis contracting practice of bakery plants that increased their prices in July – August 2010, officers of Moscow OFAS Russia noticed that conditions of contracts between bakery plants and retail chains did not comply with the norms of the Law “On Trade”.

Having considered the case, the Commission of the Moscow OFAS Russia found that “ASHAN” Ltd. and “ATAK” Ltd. violated Clause 1 Part 1 Article 13 of the Federal Law “On Trade” (creating discriminatory conditions).

In the near future retail chains will be issued mandatory determinations that will set economic, technical, informational or other requirements necessary to eliminate the existing discriminatory conditions and prevent creating such conditions.

“Materials of the investigated case show considerable improvement of conditions for distribution of food products by producers through retail chains. For instance, since August the payment periods halved”, pointed out Dmitry Tyotushkin, Deputy Head of Moscow OFAS Russia, the Head of the Analytical Department.

“However the contract conditions are still far from being ideal. We would like to emphasize that the effect of the efforts undertaken by the antimonopoly body to civilize relations between suppliers and retail chains cannot be sufficient without involvement of the parties whose interests and rights are being infringed”, explained Dmitry Tyotushkin.