OREANDA-NEWS. March 15, 2011. Upon signing the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the sphere of competition between FAS Russia and the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission the Head of FAS Russia Igor Artemiev and Director General Alexander Italianer held bilateral negotiations, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The parties discussed the prospects of further practical cooperаtion between the agencies in competition enforcement.

In particular, the parties emphasised the need for agencies’ cooperation on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding when investigating cross-border antimonopoly violations and mergers. Messrs. Artemiev and Italianer discussed effective experience of agencies’ using such tools as waivers, which the agencies also intend to actively use in the future.

The parties agreed to take more active part in the events organised by both authorities in the field of competition advocacy and in the meetings of the Headquarters for Joint Investigations of Antimonopoly Violations at the Inter-State Council for Antimonopoly Policy of the CIS member- states. The parties marked very high the experience of representatives of the Directorate General for Competition involvement in research of telecommunication sector, passenger air transportation, and grain market undertaken by the Headquarters.

To coordinate cooperation efforts, the Federal Antimonopoly Service and the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission will form a joint Working Group to develop the near-term Action Plan.