OREANDA-NEWS. September 28, 2011. Moscow hosted VIII Professional Energy Forum that focused on development of Russian electric power industry: generation, networks and sales. The attendees included representatives of the Institute of the Problems with Natural Monopolies, the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), and the Federal Tariff Service, non-commercial partnerships, energy suppliers, network organisations and other participants, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The Head of FAS Department for Control over Electric Power Industry Vitaly Korolyov made a presentation about important issues of antimonopoly regulation and control over electric power markets. He described the scope of reference of the antimonopoly authority on the markets of electric power and enforcement issues, legislative initiatives aimed at developing competition. Vitaly Korolyov talked about the most widespread violations of the antimonopoly law, such as: preventing market entry; economically or technologically unjustified refusals or avoiding contracts; imposing disadvantageous contract conditions upon counteragents; and violating pricing procedures established by normative-legal acts. He also gave statistical data on antimonopoly cases initiated in 2008-2010.

Vitaly Korolyov discussed the issues of economic concentration control and paid special attention to control over compliance of economic entities with the law on energy saving and increasing energy efficiency, the Standards of information disclosure for participants of wholesale and retail markets of electric power.

“FAS participation in such public discussions of the issues of developing electric power markets and open consideration of the prospects of advancing market relations in this field is an important element of enhancing transparency of the work of the antimonopoly authority as well as competition advocacy in general”, said Vitaly Korolyov.

Reference:

In 2010 FAS initiated 1508 cases on violating the antimonopoly law on the markets of electric power and heating energy, and made 903 decisions confirming the facts of violations, of which FAS issued 491 decisions and 354 determinations upon the facts of violating the antimonopoly law in the field of technological connection. Considerable proportion constitutes cases on preventing entry to the wholesale energy market, and other violations on retial markets.

In 2009 FAS initiated 1265 cases on violating the antimonopoly law on the markets of electric power and heating energy, and made 747 decisions confirming the facts of violations, issued 624 determinations, of which 129 decisions and 95 determinations were in the field of technological connection. In 2009 regional offices of FAS also made 20 decisions on forced reorganisation of economic entities that combined various types of activities in electric power industry.