Competition advocacy

In order to clarify the issues of competition within the SES and stages of implementation of the Agreement on competition, in 2012, international public events were held with the participation of representatives of government authorities, business community and the media associations of the three countries.The Member of the Board - Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation arranged and conducted 5 international “round table” discussions regarding “The Single Competition Policy as a Prerequisite for Effective Performance of the Single Economic Space” in the following cities:
Ø Karaganda (Republic of Kazakhstan), where performance of the SES was discussed.

This “round table” discussion was attended by S. Akhmetov, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan (who is presently the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan); members of the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan; heads of central government authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; executive management of the Karaganda Region; business community representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Ø Novosibirsk (Russian Federation), where performance of the SES was discussed.

This “round table” discussion was attended by V. Yurchenko, Governor of the Novosibirsk Region; I. Moroz, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Novosibirsk Region; L. Burda, Deputy Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Siberian Federal District; A. Strukov, First Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Novosibirsk Region – Minister of Economic Development of the Novosibirsk Region; heads of central government authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; business community representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Ø Ust-Kamenogorsk (Kazakhstan), where the following issues were discussed: equal competitive conditions in the commodity markets of the SES and, primarily, in the cross-border markets of the fuel and energy sector (electricity, fuel and oil, gas, etc.), harmonization and improvement of legislation of each of the three countries in regard to competition policy, including proposals to remove barriers for business entities of the parties that enter the commodity markets of the SES, non-discriminatory access of businesses entities to the commodity markets.

This “round table” discussion was attended by A. Sudyin, Deputy Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan; deputies of the Senate and the Majilis of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan; heads of central government authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; executive management of the Ust-Kamenogorsk Region; business community representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Ø Volgograd (Russian Federation), where the issue of penetration of goods originated from Belarus and Kazakhstan into the Russian commodity markets was discussed.

This “round table” discussion was attended by N. Maksyuta, Member of the Federation Council Committee for Federal Structure, Regional Policy, Local Government and Affairs of the North of the Russian Federation; I. Alexandrina, Acting Minister of Economy of the Volgograd Region of the Russian Federation; heads of central government authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; business community representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Ø Grodno (Belarus), where the issues of intellectual property (trademarks) and removal of mutual trade barriers were discussed.

This “round table” was attended by V. Kravtsov and D. Kharitonchik, Chairmen of the Standing Committees of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly of Belarus; Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the Republic of Belarus; representatives of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Republic of Belarus; heads of central government authorities of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia; business community representatives from Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia.

Discussions of the draft Model Law on Competition in 2013

International workshops and round table discussions held in Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, with the participation of deputies, representatives of government authorities and non-governmental organizations and business community representatives:

• the Republic of Belarus - Minsk, Brest
• the Republic of Kazakhstan - Astana, Almaty
• the Russian Federation - Novosibirsk, Kazan
• Antitrust authorities of countries having a lot of experience (Japan, UK, South Korea, etc.).