In 2025, Russia is marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of the antitrust authorities in the country. Alexey Ivanov, Director of the BRICS Competition Centre, spoke at a commemorative session held on May 19 as part of the XIII St. Petersburg International Legal Forum. The session brought together experts to discuss the key achievements of Russia’s antitrust authorities, the pressing challenges they face, and the future development of antitrust legislation. The discussion was moderated by Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service, Andrey Tsyganov.
Alexey Ivanov outlined the key directions for the development of antitrust regulation amid the conclusion of a major 35-year cycle. His speech served as an attempt to reassess the path taken and to seek answers to the challenges of a new economic era.
In Russia, antitrust regulation formally began in 1991 with the adoption of the corresponding law, although a few years earlier an antitrust authority had been established without real powers. According to the speaker, this reflects an effort to introduce new principles into the economy during a period of systemic crisis in the former model based on centralized planning. Similar processes were taking place in other BRICS countries, where there was also a recognized need for economic renewal.
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In the expert's opinion, the international antitrust system is also on the verge of a new phase. Signs of economic crisis are evident — a slowdown in the global economy, rising geopolitical tensions. This calls for a revision of the antitrust agenda: it is important to understand what role relevant policy can play in the next economic cycle and which approach will prove most appropriate for the new realities.
The Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia (FAS) continues to operate effectively, but a systemic impact requires institutional reform, Alexey Ivanov believes. Antitrust policy must become a full-fledged element in ensuring the stability of the economic system, and the antitrust regulator itself should receive independent status and the necessary regulatory resources.
One of Mr. Ivanov’s key proposals was a call to introduce the institution of class actions in Russia. This approach, widely used in the United States, would help to relieve the burden on the FAS, freeing up time to address important systemic issues, stimulate private initiatives, and ensure more effective restoration of rights for those harmed by monopolies. The introduction of treble damages and the creation of specialized antitrust courts, in his view, could reshape the entire regulatory architecture.
In the photo, from left to right: Sergey Lisovsky, Rusman bin Abu Samah, Alexey Ivanov, Jiheng Wang © Roscongress
A “reset” of the antitrust regime is only possible through the integration of new legal, institutional, and analytical mechanisms, drawing on international experience and cooperation, emphasized the Director of the BRICS Centre. He highlighted the importance of collaboration with friendly countries and BRICS partners.
“There are many friendly countries with which we can and must build unified cooperation platforms. Problems must be solved together, because if we act in isolation, we will not enter the new economic cycle properly and will simply lose relevance as an antitrust community and as antitrust experts,”
said Alexey Ivanov.
The speaker placed special emphasis on the need for a systemic analysis of global value chains, a tool already adopted by some BRICS jurisdictions, including Malaysia. The BRICS Competition Centre is preparing a report on the grain market, which will be presented in September at the BRICS conference in Cape Town. The study will reveal how the grain trade chain operates within BRICS and the role played by global grain traders who exploit various tools — including digital ones — to extract excess profits at the expense of farmers and consumers.
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The views expressed by Alexey Ivanov are resonating beyond Russia. In BRICS countries and in the West, similar questions are increasingly being raised: How effective are current approaches, and what must be changed to preserve and develop competitive principles amid a complex and rapidly evolving global economy? These topics were further discussed by Jiheng Wang, representative of the State Administration for Market Regulation of China (SAMR), and Rusman bin Abu Samah, member of the Malaysia Competition Commission.
The session also featured participation from Sergey Puzyrevsky, Secretary of State – Deputy Head, FAS of Russia; Maksim Yermolovich, Member of the Board (Minister) for Competition and Antimonopoly Regulation, Eurasian Economic Commission; Sergey Lisovsky, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation for the Protection of Competition; Denis Gavrilov, Deputy Head of Competition Law Department, Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL), among others.
St. Petersburg International Legal Forum will serve as a major platform for dialogue among members of the legal, business, and law-enforcement communities. It will address a wide range of issues focusing on how law can better serve the interests of people and businesses. It will also address improvements to law-enforcement practices, the promotion of legislative initiatives to strengthen the legal culture, and socioeconomic-related regulation in today’s world. This year, the Forum welcomed over 5,600 participants and media representatives from 80 countries and territories, including Russia.
