OREANDA-NEWS. August 25, 2011. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) and the “Main Centre for Special Communications” Federal State Unitary Enterprise reached an amicable settlement on an antimonopoly case being considered by the 9th Arbitration Appeal Court, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 28th September 2009, FAS Commission found that the “Main Centre for Special Communications” Federal State Unitary Enterprise violated Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (abusing market dominance).

From 20th October 2008, the communications company fixed monopolistically high price for delivering mail, that contained information classified as state secrets, in the Russian Federation. In 2009 prices were increased by 300-500% in comparison with 2008 (for the first tariff zone prices increased from 122 to 540 Rubles for a single mail item weighted up to 1 kg).

The “Main Centre for Special Communications” also was imposing disadvantageous contract conditions and services irrelevant to the subject of a contract for delivering mail, that contained information classified as state secrets, in St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.

By its decision, FAS obligated the “Main Centre for Special Communications” to set the rates for delivering mail, that contained information classified as state secrets, at the level not exceeding the increased company’s costs. Also FAS fined the “Main Centre for Special Communications 37,347,387 Rubles (Article 14.31 of the Code of the Russian Federation for Administrative Violations – a “turnover” fine).

The “Main Centre for Special Communications” disagreed with the decision of the antimonopoly authority and filed a lawsuit to the 9th Arbitration Appeal Court.

In course of the judicial proceedings, the parties to the case reached an amicable settlement, according to which the “Main Centre for Special Communications” admitted the fact of violating the antimonopoly law and agreed to eliminate the consequences of the violation.

The Court may rule to reduce the fine imposed upon the Centre to 12,839,000 Rubles in accord with the amicable settlement.