OREANDA-NEWS. December 27, 2013. The Commission of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) postponed an antimonopoly case against the Central Energy Customs until 5th February 2014.

FAS initiated a case upon a petition from “Russian Association of Marine and River Bunker Suppliers” Self-Regulatory. The Association reported that the Central Energy Customs had sent teletypograms to the heads of energy customs stations on the customs control procedures the goods declared under commodity items of the 27th group of the Customs Union Commodity Classification of Foreign Economic Activity as supplies (fuel).

The procedures allow only vertically-integrated companies to exercise bunkering and customs control of vessels exclusively at moorage walls of oil loading terminals or in harbours. Not vertically-integrated structures can exercise bunkering and customs control at harbours only upon submitting additional documents not provided for by the existing legislation.

The officials of energy customs stations were instructed to request economic entities to submit, apart from a standard list of documents required by the customs legislation, documents that confirm purchasing bunker fuel from refineries with processing capacity over 1 million tons of oil stock per year.

Investigating the case, the FAS Commission learned about the positions of the parties to the case and other persons involved in the case (“RN-Bunker”, “LUKOIL-Bunker”, “Transeft-Service” CJSC and “Gazpromneft Marine Bunker”).

In order to obtain additional evidence on the case and bring energy customs stations that directly prohibited bunkering in harbours as respondents; the FAS Commission scheduled the next hearing on 5th February 2014.

“Setting additional requirements by the authorities always affects market development, operations of businesses. FAS shall assess actions undertaken by the Central Energy Customs and its structural units upon studying the materials presented by the parties”, pointed out Deputy Head of FAS Department for Control over the Authorities, Natalia Isaeva.