Combating cross-border cartels

On June 1, 2021, the 3rd meeting of the UNCTAD Working Group on Combating Cross-Border Cartels was held. Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Centre, and Anna Pozdnyakova, Researcher, took part in the discussion.

The meeting participants discussed practical cross-border cases investigated in the Eurasian Economic Union and Malaysia and discussed the challenges and difficulties that the antimonopoly authorities face when considering cases beyond their territories.

The central issue of the meeting was the discussion of the results of the Working Group's activities and areas for further work. The FAS representatives noted the extreme importance and practical significance of this Working Group for competition authorities. In view of the large number of unresolved issues related to the fight against cross-border cartels, it is necessary to think about the development of a document on the UNCTAD platform to counter this type of anti-competitive practices.

Anna Pozdnyakova noted: "The BRICS Competition Centre is currently conducting empirical research on the challenges that competition authorities face when considering cross-border cartels. More than 50 competition authorities have already participated in the study. The results now show that more than half of the respondents support the establishment of international standards and the consolidation of tools and methods for combating cross-border cartels at the global level. In this context, we see global support for the proposal of the FAS Russia on the further work of the UNCTAD Working Group. "

A report on the Working Group activities will be presented in July 2021 at the 18th session of the UNCTAD Intergovernmental Group of Experts on Competition Law and Policy.

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