FAS proposes to significantly update the chapter of the ICN Handbook on combating cartels devoted to these issues.
The International Competition Network (ICN) is an association of antimonopoly authorities from different countries of the world, focused on improving law enforcement practice and developing proposals for the approximation of antimonopoly legislation of different countries. It carries out its activities through the Coordination Committee, consisting of 15 members - the antimonopoly bodies of the organization.
FAS Russia has been actively participating in the activities of the International Competition Network for 20 years, being a member of the ICN Coordination Committee and co-chair of the ICN Working Group on Cartels.
The fight against cartels remains one of the priorities of the Antimonopoly Service. And in modern conditions of globalization of economic processes and increasing digitalization, cartels acquire a cross-border character, which requires the expansion and strengthening of international cooperation. This was stated by the Deputy Head of FAS Russia, Andrey Tsyganov, at the XX Annual Conference of the International Competitive Network (ICN).
The speaker noted that a more effective investigation of cross-border cartels requires a universal legal framework for regulating the interaction of competition authorities and improving the process of information exchange between them.
Thus, as part of its co-chairmanship in the ICN working group on cartels, the agency proposes to substantially update the chapter of the ICN Anti-Cartel
Guidelines, dedicated to international cooperation and information exchange. The proposed changes relate to the fight against anti-competitive agreements in the context of the new economic realities of the digital economy and the exit of cartels beyond the geographical boundaries of one state.
FAS Russia also initiated the creation of a Working Group on Cross-Border Cartels at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). It began large-scale work to converge practices and create global standards for international cooperation in investigating cross-border cartels.
"Consolidation of efforts of the international competitive community is the most effective method in combating anti-competitive practices of the largest transnational corporations and increasing the effectiveness of relevant investigations. Our goal is to support competition authorities, especially in less developed countries, with simple, practical tools to interact at all stages of cartel investigations. This will make it possible to more efficiently suppress violations of the rules of the competition that cause significant damage to the economies of such countries, "concluded Andrey Tsyganov.
Source: FAS website
