OREANDA-NEWS. June 02, 2014. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) found that the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC violated the antimonopoly law. The company unlawfully established the requirements on mandatory certification of the equipment offered for supplying under public procurement.

The “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC is the largest ordering customer for equipment of the fuel-and energy complex. Taking advantage of its position, the company specified a condition in the procurement documents that all organizations intending to take part in tenders for the rights to supply equipment, technologies and materials to the facilities of the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC were obligated to pass additional, fee-based equipment certification on the basis of the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC. Absence of documents confirming additional certification constituted the grounds for rejecting commercial offers of tender bidders.

As a result of the actions of the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC, market agents that possessed certificates, issued by the competent authorities in accordance with the current law, had to pass additional certification in the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC.

Based on the above, FAS found that the “Federal Grid Company of Unified Energy System” OJSC violated Part 1 Article 17 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” and issued a determination to exclude the mandatory certification requirements from procurement documentation.

As pointed out the Head of FAS Department for Control over Electric Power Industry, Vitaly Korolyov: “The current law does not provide for passing additional certification. The cost of certification is from 350,000 RUB to 2 million RUB, and it constitutes an economic barrier and restricts possibilities of taking part in procurement”.