OREANDA-NEWS. November 03, 2011. The 9th Arbitration Appeal Court in Moscow pronounced legitimacy and reasonableness of the decision of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) about a cartel on the market of edible salt. The Court dismissed the claim of “Belarus Food Company” Ltd. (“BPK” Ltd.) on invalidating the FAS decision, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

On 20th January 2011, FAS Commission recognized that “Mozyrsol” OJSC, “BPK” Ltd., “TDS” CJSC and “Evrotrust Expo” Ltd. violated Clause 3 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” (competition-restricting agreements or concerted actiоns of economic entities).

The economic entities reached agreements about the conditions for selling salt produced by “Mozyrsol” OJSC in Moscow and the Moscow region, that were unacceptable under the antimonopoly law.

On 20th July 2011, FAS Russia and “Evrotrust Expo” Ltd. concluded an Agreement on the circumstances of the case, where “Evrotrust Expo” Ltd. admitted violating Clause 3 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, therefore, violating collusion on the market of edible salt.

“FAS has suppressed the cartel that considerably restricted competition on a socially important market. The decision of FAS Commission comes into force, which confirms legitimacy of administrative fines upon economic entities that violated the antimonopoly law”, pointed out the Head of FAS Department for Control over Chemical Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex, Teimuraz Kharitonashvili.

Reference:

Upon recognizing that the companies violated the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition”, FAS imposed administrative fines: upon “BPK” Ltd. – 12.3 million Rubles, “TDS” CJSC – 340,000 Rubles, “Mozyrsol” OJSC – 100,000 Rubles, “Evrotrust Expo” Ltd. – 100,000 Rubles.

Clause 3 Part 1 Article 11 of the Federal Law “On Protection of Competition” prohibits agreements between economic entities and concerted actions on the market, if such agreements or concerted actions lead or can lead to dividing the market under geographic principles, volume of sales or purchases, range of goods or categories of sellers or buyers (customers).