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The EEC Board fined a paper manufacturer for failure to provide information during an antitrust investigation
By decision of the Eurasian Economic Commission's Board, fines were imposed on the paper manufacturer – the Russian pulp and paper plant, its management company, as well as Director General for failure to provide information during an investigation into a possible violation of competition rules in the cross-border market for paper in rolls and sheets.
The EEC Antitrust Unit launched an investigation on the signs of abuse of dominance by certain manufacturers of paper in rolls and sheets and entering into anti-competitive agreements prohibited by the Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union.
As part of considering the materials, the Commission requested the necessary information from Turinsky Pulp and Paper Plant JSC, TURA Management Company LLC and its Director General. The request concerned the provision of standard information required for analyzing the commodity market, determining the main economic entities and their market shares. However, the economic entities failed to provide the requested information within the established time frame.
According to Bakhyt Sultanov, EEC Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation, the Commission sent requests to the economic entities twice, there is evidence that the addressees received these letters, but the supranational authority's requests were ignored. Based on that, the Commission initiated and considered a case against these legal entities and the head of the management company.
"It should be noted that the investigation results are based on the totality of information obtained as a result of requests. Due to such incompleteness, the Commission is unable to fully exercise its powers aimed at maintaining the principles of market economy and fair competition," the Minister noted.
The EEC Board's Decision shall come into effect after 30 calendar days have elapsed from the date of its publication.
