OREANDA-NEWS. February 10, 2014. There was the second meeting of the heads of antimonopoly bodies of the member-states of the Common Economic Space and a Member of Collegium (Minister) on competition and antimonopoly regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC), Nurlan Aldabergenov.

Russia was represented by the Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), Igor Artemiev, and his Deputy, Andrey Tsyganov. The Chairman of EEC Collegium, Victor Khristenko, also took part in the meeting.

The decision on the importance of working in the “three plus one” format was issued in May 2013. The first meeting took place on 5th June 2013 and formed the Methodological Council on Competition and joint working groups, in particular, for enforcing prohibitions on anticompetitive agreements, busing market dominance and unfair competition.

At the second meeting, participants discussed preparing a draft Agreement on the procedures for protecting confidential information and liability for its disclosure in the course of EEC enforcing the common competition rules. Adopting the Agreement is a necessary condition for transferring to EEC the powers to enforce the common competition rules on cross-border markets.

Participants also discussed the draft Treaty of the Eurasian Economic Union in the part related to the issues of competition policy. The Treaty codifies the contractual regulatory framework of the Customs Union and the Common Economic Space of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia. Upon adopting the Treaty, the Eurasian Economic Union of the three countries shall be functional.
Discussing the prospective areas of joint efforts of the antimonopoly bodies and EEC, the Head of FAS Igor Artemiev pinpointed attention of the participants on the questions of markets analysis and approaches to it.

Igor Artemiev also proposed to consider using retrospective method of market analysis and the method of comparative markets, and gave a positive assessment of employing those methods in the Russian Federation.

Participants also discussed the issues of competition advocacy, organizing Round Tables with representatives of the public of the three EEC member-countries, and supporting initiatives of national entrepreneurs.

Once again participants emphasized the importance of further meetings in the “three plus one” format, as well as discussing the pressing issues of competition policy and antimonopoly enforcement. In particular, at the next meeting it is planned to consider practical effects of the efforts of the joint working groups.