OREANDA-NEWS. July 18, 2014. The programme of the 14th session of Inter-Governmental Group of experts on competition law and policy UNCTAD (UN Conference on Trade and Development) in Geneva (Switzerland) included a meeting of Euro-Mediterranean Competition Forum.

This year the meeting focused on the issues of independence and accountability of competition authorities. The Report of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) was delivered by Anna Pozdnyakova, a senior expert of the Department for International Economic Cooperation.

Starting the report, Ms. Pozdnyakova discussed FAS place in the structure of executive branch of the Russian Federation, the independent status of the Antimonopoly Service, its functions and powers. Ms. Pozdnyakova also emphasized that FAS annually delivers a report on its efforts to the Government of the Russian Federation and the State Duma of the Russian Federation. FAS is financed from the national federal budget under a separate entry.

On the issue of increasing transparency and accountability, Anna Pozdnyakova detailed FAS cooperation with Non-Commercial Partnership for Competition Support and Non-Commercial Partnership for Competition Support in the CIS countries. FAS holds consultations on a regular basis with representatives of non-profit partnerships with regard to FAS initiatives on changing the antimonopoly law in the Russian Federation. Through such consultations FAS enables representatives of expert community to express their opinion with regard to legislative initiatives or propose their solutions to the problems. FAS has also formed several Expert Councils on the key markets.

In conclusion, Ms. Pozdnyakova pointed out that FAS was the first executive body in Russia certified under ISO 9001:2008 standard. The certification enables the antimonopoly authority to formulate its objectives, set indicators, and improve in-house processes as well as plan activities and control goal achievements. FAS prepared annual reports on achieving quality management objectives.

Russia’s competition authority pays considerable attention to competition advocacy. All documents on FAS activities are publically available so all interested persons can read them. Overall, the issues of enhancing FAS transparency and accountability are in constant development. FAS uses all possible means to increase its openness.

Representatives of the competition authorities from Austria, Morocco, Portugal, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Tunisia and Jordan, UNCTAD specialists and a professor of New York University Eleanor Fox, one of the most influential experts in the field of competition policy, took part in the discussion.