OREANDA-NEWS. November 13, 2010. The Sixth UN Review Conference to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices (United Nations Set) is taking place in Geneva (Switzerland). Participants discussed the Review of competition policy in the Republic of Armenia*. The peer review was given by competition authorities from Russia, Germany, Hungary, Indonesia and some other countries, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Deputy Head of FAS Russia Andrey Tsyganov pointed out that “in general the peer review correctly reflects the state of competition policy in Armenia. Recommendations given by the UNCTAD experts are in line with the global trends in development of competition law. Certainly there are some aspects that need amendments and clarifications. For instance, in the FAS Russia’s opinion, the Armenian law on competition should be amended to extend the scope of reference of the antimonopoly body of the Republic of Armenia to exercise controlling-and supervisory functions, including inspections. Unfortunately, at the moment such powers are rather limited”.

Andrey Tsyganov especially emphasized that “the Commission of the Republic of Armenia for Protection of Economic Competition must intensify its efforts to enhance the Commission’s potential. As a public sphere of government activities aimed at developing market economy, competition policy must be transparent and understandable to the broad business community, the authorities and the consumers. Therefore, more attention should be paid to competition advocacy.”

*The peer review is prepared by renowned world experts on competition law and policy – William Kovacic, a commissioner of the US Federal Trade Commission, and David Lewis, a fellow at the Gordon Institute of Business and a former Chairman of the South African competition authority.

Reference:

UNCTAD voluntary peer review of competition law and policy in different countries are based on the Set of Multilaterally Agreed Equitable Principles and Rules for the Control of Restrictive Business Practices and are designed, in particular, to assist developing countries in adopting effective competition law and policy, which meet their development requirements and are adequate to the level of their economy.