OREANDA-NEWS.  September 27, 2012. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) sent a Warning to “Gazprom Neft” OJSC to stop actions (omissions) that had signs of violating the antimonopoly law, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Earlier FAS received a complaint from “Lider” Trading Company” Ltd. about unlawful actions of “Gazprom Neft” OJSC, that avoided and then refused to conclude a contract with “Lider” Trading Company” Ltd. for buying-and-selling oil products without any economic or technological justification.

Together with other largest vertically-integrated oil companies, “Gazprom Neft” OJSC has dominant position on the wholesale markets of motor gasoline and diesel fuel within the geographic boundaries of the Russian Federation. Investigating the complaint, FAS established possible signs of violating Clause 5 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” by “Gazprom Neft” OJSC in the part of unreasonably avoiding and then refusing to conclude a contract with “Lider” Trading Company” Ltd. without any economic or technological justification.

Governed by Article 39.1 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and based on the above, FAS sent a Warning to “Gazprom Neft” OJSC to stop actions (omissions) that has signs of violating the antimonopoly law in order to suppress actions (omissions) that restrict competition.

Reference:

On 6th January 2012, a new edition of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” came into force. An added Article 39.1 provides for the antimonopoly authority to issue a warning to stop actions (omissions) that have signs of violating the antimonopoly law before the antimonopoly authority initiates a case on violating Clauses 3 and 5 Part 1 Article 10 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”. Article 39.1 does not allow initiating a case on violating the above points of law before the deadline for executing a warning.

The Warning enables “Gazprom Neft” OJSC to eliminate the violations of the antimonopoly law without being penalized as well as to reinstate the infringed right of the petitioner within a shorter period.