OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2011. An influential international publication “Global Competition Review (GCR) published its 2010 performance ranking of competition authorities around the globe. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) takes the 19th position scoring 3 on a five-point grading scale and is awarded the “Good” grade. Among other competition authorities that are awarded the same grade, only FAS Russia and Hungarian Competition Authority enhanced efficiency of their work, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

According to GCR, the following factors helped improve FAS efficiency:

- successfully completing cases against the four oil companies initiated upon the signs of violating the antimonopoly law – abusing market dominance on the wholesale market of oil products;

- undertaking robust anti-cartel efforts, particularly involving such evidence -finding mechanisms as “dawn raids”;

- expanding cooperation with Russian and foreing law enforcement bodies, particular, the Ministry of Interior of the Russian Federation (to combat cartels) and Kazakhstan Competition Authority (to suppress abusing dominant positions on the market of roaming services in the CIS states);

- increasing transparency and openness of FAS work, in particular, readiness to be engaged in a dialogue with the business-community in terms of improving the law on competition and enforcement practice;

- organising a wide range of competition advocacy events by the antimonopoly authority, particularly, at the international level;

- taking efforts to improve the antimonopoly law, particularly, drawing the “third antimonopoly package” of amendments.

Experts questioned by GCR pointed out that within the national boundaries FAS Russia is the “most productive, independent and transparent” government body in the Russian Federation. “FAS has become an even more active body and we can observe that the trend is ongoing”, emphasized members of the public evaluating the work of the Antimonopoly Service.

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An influential international publication “Global Competition Review (GCR) annually assesses performance of the world’s leading competition authorities, and presents Rating Enforcement of competition authorities (39 positions). GCR sends a questionnaire to world’s competition authorities in order to establish all relevant specifics of competition enforcement (information about members of staff, mergers and aquisitions, the results of petitions consideration, imposed fines, analysis of preventing cartels and abusing market dominance, etc.). Also GCR received information from the public (lawyers, economists, academics, journalists and so on, who are well familiar with the work of a particular competition authority). Based on the obtained information and its analysis, GCR forms the Rating Enforcement on a five-point grading scale.

The Federal Antimonopoly Service was included in the performance ranking of competition authorities in 2005. In 2006 Russian competition authority was put on 36-38 positions, in 2007 FAS was able to reach 32-36 positions, in 2008 - 30-35 positions, and in 2009 – 19-29 positions.