OREANDA-NEWS. January 31, 2012. The number of cases for abusing market dominance in Russia should be reduced considerably due to introduction of the institute of warnings, said the Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) Igor Artemyev, speaking at the II Competition Forum of Ukraine, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

According to the Head of FAS, today Russian antimonopoly authority considered over 3000 cases per year against companies upon signs of abusing market dominance. The most widespread violations include:

- Fixing monopolistically high prices for products;

- Fixing different prices for the same goods for different consumers in Russia;

- Discriminating domestic producers with regard to foreign consumers of products;

- Artificially increasing production costs and creating non-productive intermediaries on the market, etc.

“With introduction of the institute of warnings the situation will change radically. Effectively FAS will issue determinations – a list of actions mandatory for execution – to companies before initiating a case upon signs of antimonopoly violations. If a company listens to a FAS warning, voluntarily eliminates a violation, an antimonopoly case will not be initiated and the company will escape “turnover fines”. Everybody will win: consumers can faster reinstate their infringed rights, companies will be relieved from huge fines, FAS will initiate fewer cases and will be able to concentrate efforts on other areas”, is convinced Igor Artemyev.

The institute of warnings appeared in Russian antimonopoly law after the so-called “third antimonopoly package of laws” came into force in January 2012 and was taken on board by Russian Antimonopoly Service from Ukraine’s antimonopoly law.