OREANDA-NEWS. September 23, 2013. Deputy Head of FAS Department for Control over Chemical Industry and Agro-Industrial Complex, Sergey Vershinin, made a presentation at the 6th International Conference “Mineral Fertilizers - 2013” to discuss a situation on the Russian and global markets of mineral fertilizers.

Sergey Vershinin started with reporting that the Antimonopoly Service pays special attention to the markets of potassium chloride and apatite concentrate.

“Such markets have underdeveloped competitive environment which potentially enables sellers unilaterally influence the general conditions of goods circulation”, emphasized the Deputy Head of FAS Department.

According to Sergey Vershinin, in December 2012 FAS completed drafting the Guidelines for ensuring non-discriminatory access to acquiring potassium chloride and apatite concentrate. The Guidelines are designed to prevent violations of the antimonopoly law on the markets of relevant goods and explain to economic entities, which their actions on the markets FAS shall not classify as violations.

He pointed out that “following the Guidelines shall reduce the risks of initiating antimonopoly cases”.

In December 2012 гFAS issued a determination to “Apatit” OJSC to develop a marketing policy for selling apatite concentrate on the domestic market and the conditions of a standard vertical agreement (contract) for supplying apatite concentrate in view of the Guidelines issued by the antimonopoly body to ensure non-discriminatory access to purchasing apatite concentrate.

FAS also obligated “Apatit” OJSC to conclude contracts for supplying apatite concentrate with Russian buyers in accordance with the conditions of the marketing policy and the standard agreement6 which must be approved upon by the antimonopoly officers.

“Uralkalii” Ltd. independently developed its marketing policy for selling potassium chloride on the Russian market and agreed it with FAS.