eng

News

EEC in the media Photo Video
27 Jun 2025 Maxim Ermolovich: "The Public Information Office Session has shown a direct, useful dialogue between regulators and market participants" On June 26, the Eurasian Economic Commission's Competition and Antitrust Regulation Unit held a public information office session for businesses on the sidelines of the Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk. "This is the Commission's unique instrument aimed at raising awareness with businesses about the rules of competition in the cross-border markets of the Eurasian Economic Union and possibilities to participate in public procurement," emphasized Maxim Ermolovich, EEC Minister in charge Competition and Antitrust Regulation. Representatives of the business community, government agencies, and experts from the EAEU countries discussed topical issues of public procurement and competition in transboundary markets and received individual consultations from the Commission's employees. In fact, it was a direct dialogue between regulators and market participants, which helped entrepreneurs better understand the legal specifics of operating within the Union.   Moreover, representatives of not only the Competition and Antitrust Regulation Unit, but also other departments of the Commission participated in the Public Information Office Session as is customary. "We are glad that the Public Information Office Session has again invited interest among representatives of business circles of our countries and that its participants were able to get consultations on the widest range of EEC activities," Maxim Ermolovich noted.  
27 Jun 2025 EEF 2025 discussed modern competition policy issues The main challenges faced by the competition authorities of the Eurasian Economic Union countries in the context of global changes were discussed on June 26 in Minsk at the EEF 2025 panel session "Modern Competition Policy: Challenges and Prospects" involving Maxim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission. The event discussed the measures and mechanisms necessary to ensure competition, the role of government and business in establishing a fair competitive environment. Special attention was paid to foreign experience. Representatives of competition authorities from Iran, China and Uzbekistan shared their experience, including on rapid response to technology and market changes. A perspective on the topic was provided by the UNCTAD's Competition and Consumer Protection Officer and Director of the BRICS International Center for Competition Law and Policy. Other speakers were representatives of the national authorities of the EAEU countries. "I believe that all the tasks we set in the session have been accomplished. This event will help the Commission and the EAEU countries align further directions of joint work in the field of competition in the Union markets," summed up Maxim Ermolovich. 
26 Jun 2025 Maxim Ermolovich, "Creation of a common market of medicines in the EAEU requires levelling competition through harmonization of price regulation" For the first time, the Eurasian Economic Commission has conducted a comprehensive study of the pharmaceutical sector development in the Eurasian Economic Union from a competitive perspective. Maxim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the EEC, spoke about the findings on June 26 at the EEF 2025 session "Pharmaceutical Market Development: Access and Affordability". "The pharmaceutical sector is one of the most regulated economic sectors supranationally and nationally in the EAEU, which necessitates close antitrust control in the cross-border and national markets," said the EEC Minister.  Among the regulatory problems identified in the course of the study are differences in enforcing common EAEU regulations at the national level and uneven registration of pharmaceuticals in the Union countries under common rules, a high and non-transparent "threshold of entry" to the market, specifics of determining the interchangeability of pharmaceuticals for the purposes of public procurement. All that can create barriers for businesses and consumers. Special attention is paid to price regulation. According to Maxim Ermolovich, "today it is the national competence of the EAEU countries. However, in the context of establishing a common market of medicines in the Union, attention should be paid to differences in regulation and, as a consequence, emerging medicine price disparities. It's a challenge to competition." The study has shown that in the Union countries the largest disparities are in prices for medicines for cardiovascular diseases (up to 508%), blood and hematopoietic medications (up to 497%) and antibiotics (up to 275%). This is a consequence of differences in the subjects of state price regulation, methods for calculating price ceilings and lists of reference countries. Sometimes unfair market strategies of business entities may also take place. In this regard, it is proposed to address the possibility of creating within the EAEU a model list of medicines for the purposes of price regulation and a model methodology for calculating manufacturer ceiling prices to ensure equal guaranteed affordability of medicines for the population of the Union countries. It is also planned to start developing a "Code of Good Practices for the Pharmaceutical Sector of the EAEU" as a soft regulation mechanism to prevent anti-competitive behavior of market participants. The session participants discussed the prospects for developing the EAEU common market of medicines, the role of antitrust authorities in this regard, as well as measures for promoting the production of pharmaceuticals. The discussion was attended by Timofey Nizhegorodtsev, Deputy Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia, Alexander Starovoytov, Deputy Minister of Health of Belarus, Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, Kaarmanbek Baidavletov, Deputy Minister of Health of Kyrgyzstan, Adlet Tabarov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Salidat Kairbekova National Research Center for Health Development of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan, heads of specialized associations and pharmaceutical companies, representatives of expert and academic communities. The session was attended by representatives of businesses and government authorities from China, Cuba and Myanmar. In 2024, the pharmaceutical sector within the EAEU amounted to $30.9 billion, of which 66% is accounted for by the pharmacy (retail) segment and 34% by public procurement. Meanwhile, the pharmacy segment accounts for 3% of total retail sales of goods in the Union. Public procurement of medicines accounts for 7% of the total public procurement in the EAEU. In the EAEU countries, the pharmaceutical production in manufacturer prices in 2024 amounted to RUB 948 bn or USD 10.2 bn. The production growth rate in Russian rubles is +18%. 
25 Jun 2025 Maxim Ermolovich Presented Competition Advocacy Commission's Work to Presidium of the EAEU Business Council The main instruments of competition advocacy actively used by the Eurasian Economic Commission within the Eurasian Economic Union, were discussed by Maxim Ermolovich, EEC Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation, at the June 25 meeting of the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council in Minsk. Maxim Ermolovich focused on the activities of the Public Reception Office of the Competition Unit, meetings in the 5+1 format, participation in forums, conferences, seminars, round tables and various methodology initiatives. Separately, the EEC Minister dwelled on the work in the information space and on the issues of international cooperation. Maxim Ermolovich made a number of proposals on the development of the EEC interaction with several business associations of Belarus in order to establish direct operational communication with Belarusian businesses and improve the efficiency of work. The meeting of the Presidium of the EAEU Business Council opened the business program of the Eurasian Economic Forum. The meeting agenda items range from improving the business climate and removing obstacles in the domestic market to partnerships with third countries. The Presidium of the Business Council of the Eurasian Economic Union comprises the largest business associations of the EAEU countries. It discusses and coordinates Eurasian economic integration issues.
19 Jun 2025 Interaction and exchange of experience in competition discussed by EEC and Myanmar Armine Hakobyan, Deputy Director of the Department for Competition and Public Procurement Policy of the Eurasian Economic Commission, presented the EEC activities in the field of competition policy at the meeting of the joint working group on interaction between the Commission and the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar. The meeting was held as part of the St. Petersburg Economic Forum. Myanmar reported that, following the entry into force of Myanmar's Competition Law in 2017, it established the Competition Commission that gained considerable experience to date and took its rightful place in the government system. Myanmar is interested in cooperating with similar agencies of the EAEU states and the EEC competition unit. "The Myanmar Competition Commission comprises representatives from various ministries and agencies. For us, this is an interesting, unusual approach to the structure of a competition authority. It is certainly useful for us to familiarize ourselves with its work," Armine Hakobyan noted. The meeting participants addressed organizational issues of interaction, as well as cooperation in other key economic areas in accordance with the previously concluded Memorandum between the Eurasian Economic Commission and the Government of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar.
16 Jun 2025 Maxim Ermolovich: "Creation of a common exchange market for commodities within the EAEU will increase the level of economic interaction in the Five countries" Maxim Ermolovich, Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation of the Eurasian Economic Commission, participated in the annual general meeting of the International Association of Exchanges. The issues of exchange trade development were discussed, as well as the initiative to create the Inter-exchange Union of the SCO countries. EEC Minister reported on the preparation of the program for developing exchange trading in the common exchange (organized market) of goods within the Eurasian Economic Union. "Implementation of the program will require harmonizing the regulatory and legal framework of the Member States, unifying exchange trading rules, eliminating barriers and restrictions, as well as developing exchange infrastructure," Maxim Ermolovich noted. The Commission attaches great importance to the creation of a common exchange market for the Union's commodities in terms of promoting competition and improving pricing efficiency.  The event was attended by representatives of exchanges from the CIS, Europe, Asia, Latin America and Africa. The International Association of Exchanges (IAE) was established in Moscow in 2000 for coordinated efforts to develop organized financial and commodity markets in accordance with international standards. The IAE comprises 16 leading financial and commodity exchanges from nine CIS countries, including the EAEU States.
10 Jun 2025 Maksim Ermolovich: “The EEC develops mechanisms to ensure fair competition within the EAEU” The Eurasian Economic Commission's delegation headed by Maksim Ermolovich, the EEC Minister in charge of Competition and Antitrust Regulation, took part in the Antitrust Forum-2025 in Moscow, organized by the Federal Antimonopoly Service and the Association of Antitrust Experts. At the plenary session Maksim Ermolovich presented the EEC main achievements in the field of competition, key amendments to the competition law of the Eurasian Economic Union, as well as certain aspects of the Commission's sectoral market studies. The interaction between the Unit and national competition authorities, and perspective directions of the EEC's activities in the field of competition were considered. “The Competition Unit attaches great importance to strengthening interaction with the professional community, exchange of experience and discussion of relevant matters of competition policy. All this contributes to creating efficient legal and institutional mechanisms for ensuring fair competition within the EAEU,” the EEC Minister emphasized. Maksim Ermolovich has outlined that the EEC today has all the necessary tools to maintain a competitive environment within the Eurasian Economic Union: the law enforcement practice has been formed, and there is a constant process of improving the competition law. “We work to expand the Commission's presence in transboundary markets, as well as to raise awareness among economic operators of the principles and rules of competition in them,” the EEC Minister noted.  
03 Jun 2025 Dinara Mukaeva appointed Deputy Director of EEC Antitrust Regulation Department Dinara Mukaeva was born in 1987 in Almaty Region, Kazakhstan. She graduated from Abay Kazakh National Pedagogical University with a degree in International Law. In 2008-2020, she held various positions in antitrust authorities of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2020-2022, she headed the Anti-Cartel Office of the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition of the Republic of Kazakhstan. In 2022-2025, she headed the territorial Department of the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the Abay Region. She is an awardee of the badge of the Republic of Kazakhstan "Excellence in Antimonopoly Service". Since May 28, 2025 she was appointed Deputy Director of Antitrust Regulation Department of the Eurasian Economic Commission.
Display more

Useful links of the EAEU