OREANDA-NEWS.  February 06, 2013. The Expert Council at the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) for developing completion in the machine-tool industry had a meeting. The event was organized by FAS Russia, the Sub-Commission of Distributors of Machine-Tool Industry at the Commission for Developing Competitive Ability of Machine-Building Enterprises at the Russian Engineering Union, and the Expert Council for Developing Technological Basis of Russian Machine-Building at the Industry Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia. 

Opening the meeting, the Chairman of the Expert Council, Deputy Head of FAS Russia, Stats-Secretary Andrey Tsarikovskiy pointed out: “Until we develop a solid base for machine-tool industry, which will enable us to establish new productions, we will be forced to buy equipment abroad. It is impossible to develop modern efficient economy without reviving Russian machine-tool industry”.

The main issue on the agenda was to discuss the ways of enhancing efficiency and overcoming the problems related to control over compliance with No.56 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On Establishing Prohibitions and Restrictions for Admissibility of Merchandise Originating from a Foreign State or a Group of Foreign States, Works (Services) Carried Out (Rendered) by Foreign Persons, as Part of Procurement of Goods, Works, Services for the Needs of National Defence and State Security”, issued due to Russia ascending the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Reports and presentations were made by representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development, “STANKIN” Moscow State Technical University, “RT-“Stankoistrument” OJSC, the “Stankoistrument” Association, “SASTA” OJSC, EMAG GVS GmbH, “Samara Regional Centre for Technical Retooling” Non-Commercial Partnership and “MSZ-Salyut” CJSC.

According to the participants of the Expert Council meeting, the main problem for implementing No.56 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation is a relatively low level of competitive ability of the products of Russian machine-tool industry, as well as insufficient information awareness of market participants and ordering parties regarding the Decree.

Deputy Head of the FAS Department for Control over Industry and Defence Complex, Andrey Greshnyov, explained that “orders for supplying products are placed under the Law on State Procurement (No.94-FZ), which clearly specifies all procurement procedures and the procedures for registering tender documentation. FAS can investigate violations of the procurement procedures in accordance with the current legislation”. He called upon companies to inform and approach FAS if they expose facts of avoiding compliance with No.56 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Participants agreed that the restrictions imposed upon government customers by the Decree do not contradict the WTO principles because joining WTO Russia did not undertake any obligations regarding government actions in the field of procurement for state and municipal needs.

The format of the event allowed developing a platform for constructive discussion of the proposed agenda by representatives of the authorities, Russian industrial enterprises, foreign companies, distributors and non-governmental organizations.

Summing up the discussion of the Expert Council, representatives of professional community pointed out the importance for devising particular decisions to overcome the problems related to enforcement of No.56 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation. To this purpose, the Expert Council FAS shall form a Working Group on Machine-Tool Industry which will be devising relevant proposals.