OREANDA-NEWS. September 20, 2013. “We have formed the common economic space and open our borders for mutual trade, which increased the volumes of mutual trade between the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation”, said a Member of Collegium – Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation Nurlan Aldabergenov at the plenary session of Competition Day in Russia.

He pointed out that in 2012 mutual trade between the Republic of Belarus, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation increased by 45.5% in comparison with 2010. Export from Belarus to the countries of the Customs Union (CU) increased by 64.0%, from Kazakhstan - by 14.0%, and from Russia - by 45.4%.

The Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) was established in January 2012 and has the powers to control cross-border markets. In 2012 the heads of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia approved the criteria for classifying a market as cross-border one.

The Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation stressed the importance of harmonizing competition law. The laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation are already harmonized, while draft amendments to the Law of the Republic of Belarus “On Preventing Monopolistic Activities and Developing Competition” are being approved.

Nurlan Aldabergenov discussed the Model Competition Law which shall be signed by the Heads of the member-states of the Common Economic Space (CES). The Law is aimed at approximating legal regulation of economic relations in the field of competition policy. “Ultimately we shall have to adopt a unified Antimonopoly Code”, stated Nurlan Aldabergenov.

The Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation thanked OECD Competition Committee’s Chairman Frederique Jenny for consultations in the course of devising the Model Law and the Head of UNCTAD Competition Branch Hassan Qaqaya for providing a platform to discuss it.

The Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation said that another importance objective of the Eurasian Economic Commission would be abolishing roaming within the Common Economic Space.

Nurlan Aldabergenov pointed out at high costs of railway passenger transportation and air transportation between the countries of the Common Economic Space in comparison with similar distances in Russia. The Eurasian Economic Commission regularly monitors and analyses the electric power market in the countries of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space.

The Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation gave an example of an antimonopoly violation on the market of apatite concentrate: the Eurasian Economic Commission identified signs of fixing different prices for the same goods (in breach of Sub-Clause 6 Clause 1 Article 12 of the Agreement on Common Competition Principles and Rules). A Russian producer that has dominant position on the market of apatite concentrate (controlling around 75% of the market) was selling its products for consumers in Belarus at a higher price that on the domestic market in Russia.

Nurlan Aldabergenov also informed the session about the Coordination Council, comprising the Heads of the Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Belarus, the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Competition Protection (AZK RK) and the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia).

Finally, the Minister on Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation said that an international event - Russian Competition Day would encourage competition development, informational exchange and discussing the best enforcement practices.

“Our work is to promote fairness and equality, so the better competition is developed, the richer our countries are”, emphasized Nurlan Aldabergenov.