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11 Sep 2024 EEC and PRC strengthen cooperation in competition area Maxim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, presented a number of the EEC initiatives at the National Fair Competition Conference of the State Administration of Market Regulation of the People's Republic of China in Wuhan. At the event dedicated to fair competition as the basis for future development, Maxim Ermolovich noted the EEC's active work on improving competition law and enforcement, as well as the Commission's efficient interaction with the national competition authorities of the Eurasian Economic Union countries. The development of the Liability Release Program was noted as an important achievement, encouraging cartel detection and improving the competitive environment in transboundary markets. The EEC Minister paid attention to the solid bonds with the EAEU Court and its role in ensuring uniform application of competition law. Maxim Ermolovich separately outlined the current problematic issues and presented a number of the Commission's initiatives: reduction of roaming tariffs in the EAEU, regulation of e-commerce in the conditions of digital marketplace development, competition advocacy, and successes in international cooperation, enabling to share best practices. The EEC Minister expressed confidence that strengthening the Commission's partnership with China and other countries would ensure the creation of a favorable competitive environment promoting economic growth and sustainable development. "China is one of EEC's strategic partners. We consider the extension of cooperation with our Chinese colleagues in the field of competition as a priority area that has a huge potential,” Maxim Ermolovich emphasized.  
02 Sep 2024 Uzbekistan shows interest in developing dialogue with EEC in public procurement Representatives of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Department for Competition and Public Procurement Policy and experts from the Ministry of Economy and Finance of the Republic of Uzbekistan held an online discussion on the prospects for cooperation in public procurement within the Eurasian Economic Union. During the meeting, Zhanar Adikova, Director of the Department, briefed the Uzbek colleagues on the basic principles in the public (municipal) procurement stipulated by the Union's law, as well as the Commission's role in some issues of public procurement regulation in the EAEU countries. Following the meeting, representatives of the Ministry of Economy and Finance of Uzbekistan expressed interest in continuing and deepening the dialogue, as well as discussing issues of mutual participation in public procurement. In turn, Armine Hakobyan, Deputy Director of the Department, invited the Uzbek colleagues to continue the dialogue at the upcoming Eurasian Economic Forum to be held on September 30 – October 1 in Yerevan, as well as suggested possible areas of further cooperation in the field of public procurement.
12 Aug 2024 Maksim Ermolovich: "The development of competition in the EAEU should receive scientific and educational support from the Union countries' leading universities" Maksim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, held a meeting with Prof. Alexander Auzan, Doctor of Economics, Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Lomonosov Moscow State University. Maksim Ermolovich emphasized the importance of scientific support for competition development based on the research conducted in this area by leading world scientists and key universities of the Eurasian Economic Union countries, including MSU. Alexander Auzan shared his opinion on the impact of cultural codes of the EAEU States' economies on the development of competition in the Union. He noted that the impact of artificial intelligence on the modern world and the global economy transformation will be at least as extensive as one of the Internet was. The sides discussed the prospects of interaction between the EAEU, SCO and BRICS, as well as the development of the global economy. An agreement was reached to establish a permanent dialog between MSU scientists dealing with competition issues and personnel of the Commission's relevant unit.
24 Jul 2024 Sergei Maximov appointed Director of EEC Department for Antitrust Regulation Sergei Maximov was born in 1961 in Omsk. He graduated from the Omsk Higher Police School of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, then completed a postgraduate course at the same institution and a doctoral program at the Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the USSR (Russian Federation). Doctor of Law, Professor. From 1983 to 2005, he was a law enforcement officer. He was a postgraduate student, researcher and senior lecturer at the Criminal Law Department of the Omsk Higher Police School of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs, doctoral student at the Academy of the USSR Ministry of Internal Affairs (Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia), professor at the Criminal Law and Criminology Department of the Moscow Institute of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Criminology Department of the Moscow University of the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs. From 2006 to 2018 Sergei Maximov was a Leading Researcher and Head of the Sector of Criminal Law, Criminology and Justice Problems of the Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 2008–2010: Head of the Legal Support and Licensing Department of the Federal Service for Supervision of Healthcare. 2010–2015: Deputy Head of the Legal Department of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia. 2015–2016: Director of the Department for Competition and Public Procurement Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission. 2016–2024: Assistant and Adviser to the Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service. Since 2015, he has been Deputy Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Russian Academy of Sciences on the problems of protection and development of competition; since 2016, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian Competition Law and Economy research and practice journal; since 2023, Deputy Chairman of the Intellectual Property Commission of the Association of Lawyers of Russia. He is the author of more than 400 scientific and methodological works on competition, administrative and criminal law. On July 22, 2024, Sergei Maximov was appointed Director of the EEC Department for Antitrust Regulation.
Decisions of the EEC Board fining violators 24 Jul 2024 Decisions of the EEC Board fining violators According to the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Belarus and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, fines for violations of the general rules of competition in cross-border markets of the Eurasian Economic Union have been paid. By its Decision dated July 7, 2020, the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission recognized Sergei Puzynya, Director of Asomedica Co.Ltd (Belarus), as a party to an anticompetitive agreement. Companies selling medical equipment, including Asomedica Co.Ltd, agreed to sell speech processors of cochlear implantation systems manufactured by Cochlear Europe each in its own territory. Hence, consumers were deprived of the opportunity to choose goods at a more favorable price as well as to receive warranty and post-warranty service from a wider range of suppliers of these products. By its decision dated November 21, 2023, the EEC Board recognized the actions of Bryuts N LLC (Belarus) as an act of unfair competition. The company misled consumers about its affiliation with the well-known Russian chain of hookah establishments HOOKAH PLACE by using a trademark similar to that of the Russian chain. Bryuts N LLC and the director of Asomedica Co.Ltd Sergei Puzynya were fined a total of over 700,000 rubles. On August 2, 2022, the Decision of the EEC Board recognized as an act of unfair competition the actions of Metallotekhnika LLC (Russia) and its director Evgeny Tarasov, as well as the director of Metalloobrabotka LLC (Russia) Valeria Abrosimova. They misled consumers as to the nature, method and place of production, consumer properties or as to the manufacturer of steel pipe cutting equipment, using in their names the Orbita designation, the exclusive rights to which belong to Avtogen-M LLC (Armenia). The said persons were fined a total of more than 800,000 rubles. In accordance with the EAEU legislation, fines for violations of competition rules are paid to the budget of the state in whose territory the economic entity that committed the offense is registered.
EEC restores fair competition in the market for medicines 15 Jul 2024 EEC restores fair competition in the market for medicines The Eurasian Economic Commission has considered the application of the Russian company Pharmstandard-Leksredstva OJSC on unfair competition. According to the applicant's information, ESCO-PHARM LLC (Republic of Armenia) sold perfume and cosmetic products (oral hygiene products) with the names "Ingalipt Vialine", "Cameton Vialine", "Furacilin Vialine", which are similar to the trade names of well-known drugs for the treatment of diseases of the ENT organs ("Ingalipt", "Cameton", "Furacilin"). This similarity may mislead consumers as to whether these products have therapeutic properties. Having considered the application, the Commission issued a warning to ESCO-FARM LLC. In due time, the company stopped production and sale of the said perfume and cosmetic products (PCP). In view of the fulfillment of all the requirements of the warning within the prescribed period of time, the Commission terminated examination of the application. "During the review of the application, it was found that the product cards on the marketplaces stated that these perfume and cosmetic products could be used to treat rhinitis, tonsillitis, sore throat and other diseases of the ENT organs. However, the technical regulation of the Customs Union "On the Safety of Perfumes and Cosmetics" does not apply to goods used for diagnosis and treatment of diseases," said Deputy Director of the EEC's Antitrust Regulation Department Olga Korolkova In order to protect customers and eliminate the consequences of the actions of ESCO-FARM LLC, the Commission appealed to representatives of popular Russian marketplaces - Wildberries, Ozon and Yandex Market. The sites promptly blocked the relevant product cards and obliged the supplier to remove information about the therapeutic properties of the products. This is how the companies helped the EEC to restore fair competition in the Union drug market.      
05 Jul 2024 Maksim Ermolovich: “UNCTAD is one of the main international platforms, which serves as a coordination center for developing and protecting competition in the world” Maksim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, took part in the 22nd session of the Intergovernmental Group of Experts (IGE) on competition law and policy of UNCTAD in Geneva. The EEC Minister informed about the Commission’s activities to combat transboundary cartels and the specifics of competition regulation in the Eurasian Economic Union. Besides, Maksim Ermolovich held another business meeting of representatives of regional integration associations on competition issues. Such events are organized annually at the initiative of the Competition Unit of the Commission at the UNCTAD venue. The meeting brought together the representatives of the EAEU Court, the Arab Competition Network, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), the Economic Community of West African Countries (ECOWAS), and others. “Regular meetings of supranational competition authorities will undoubtedly have practical results. I mean, first of all, the improvement of competition law subject to the best practices and experience gained in the regions,” noted Maksim Ermolovich. Besides, on the sidelines of the IGE session, the EEC Minister discussed the prospects for interaction with Mahmoud Momtaz, Chairman of the Egyptian Competition Authority, and met with representatives of competition authorities who took part in the UNCTAD session. Maksim Ermolovich held separate negotiations with Frederic Jenny, Chairman of the Competition Committee of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) was established in 1964. UNCTAD’s headquarters are located in Geneva (Switzerland). Currently, the Conference includes 195 countries. The UNCTAD aims to promote international trade development; equal, mutually beneficial cooperation between the states; development of recommendations, principles, organizational and legal conditions, as well as mechanisms for modern international economic relations, etc. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an international organization that brings together developed countries of the world to exchange their experiences, including in the economic policy. The organization was established in 1960. Currently, the OECD includes about 40 countries, in particular Australia, Great Britain, Germany, Spain, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Mexico, the USA, Turkey, France, Sweden, Japan, and several others.
28 Jun 2024 Olga Korolkova participated in St. Petersburg International Legal Forum Olga Korolkova, Deputy Director of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Antitrust Regulation Department, took part in the St. Petersburg International Legal Forum, which takes place on June 26-28, 2024 in St. Petersburg. The Forum's program includes a wide range of events, discussing current issues of legal regulation. At the thematic session "New Challenges and Modern Solutions in Antitrust Regulation" Olga Korolkova highlighted the trends in law enforcement practice and the main directions of the Commission's activities, in particular, the repression of unfair competition related to the registration and use of trademarks, deception of consumers, as well as the establishment of the Eurasian Economic Union's common exchange market. "Exchange trade is a tool used to ensure free movement of goods in the countries of our Union", Olga Korolkova noted. "As compared to Q1 2023, the exchange trade in the EAEU grew by 82% in Q1 2024. Accordingly, as part of implementing the Strategy-2025, the Commission also takes measures in this field, and the Union is in the process of forming a common exchange space. The relevant concept has already been prepared". The session participants discussed approaches to regulating digital markets, the efficiency and applicability of existing antitrust law tools in the digital economy, and the problems of regulating marketplaces.
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