Ruslan Dzhaliukov: Russia's antimonopoly service preparing second anti-cartel legislative package

Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) is developing a second package of anti-cartel legislation that will significantly expand the agency's powers to combat collusion, according to Report's correspondent in Khankandi

"The new package provides for sweeping amendments to the Law on Protection of Competition, including provisions on operational-search activities, as well as to the Russian Code of Administrative Offences," FAS Deputy Head Ruslan Dzhaliukov said at the 61st meeting of the CIS Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy.

According to Dzhaliukov, the initiative formally establishes a procedure for transferring the results of operational-search activities directly to the antimonopoly authority.

The draft legislation also significantly improves the existing corporate leniency programme, which allows companies to avoid or reduce penalties for cartel participation.

"In particular, the document introduces a differentiated penalty system based on the order in which cartel participants voluntarily report the collusion to the agency. Under the proposal, the second participant to come forward would face a fine equal to 70% of the total applicable penalty, while the third would face 85%," Dzhaliukov added.