OREANDA-NEWS. November 07, 2012. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that the law of the Krasnodar region restricting retail alcohol sale contravened the antimonopoly law and the law on trading activities, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

From 1st September 2012, the Legislature of the Krasnodar Region completely prohibited retail sale of low-alcoholic tonic beverages in the region and from 1st July 2012 it limited the number of outlets for sale of nonalcoholic tonic beverages.

The case was initiated upon petitions from the National Association of Low-Alcohol Producers and Distributers, the Union of Producers of Nonalcoholic Beverages and Mineral Waters, and “Tornado” Ltd.

Investigating the case, the FAS Commission revealed that retail sale prohibition covered some types of alcoholic and nonalcoholic products that were allowed for circulation and met the mandatory federal standards and sanitary-and-epidemiological norms. The outlets for sale of nonalcoholic beverages were limited, which is not provided for by the legislative acts of the Russian Federation.

FAS concluded that unjustified prohibition of retail sale of some types of alcoholic and nonalcoholic products, allowed for circulation, had contravened Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and Sub-Clause “b” Clause 4 Article 15 of the Federal Law “On the Fundamental Principles of State Regulation of Trading Activities in the Russian Federation”.

FAS decided to file a lawsuit to declare unlawful certain competition-restricting provisions of the law of the Krasnodar region.