The head of the service Maxim Shaskolsky told about it during the 57th meeting of the Interstate Council on Antimonopoly Policy (ICAP) in Samarkand.
The head of Russia's Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) recently highlighted the widespread adoption of "responsible pricing" practices among retail chains for food products. Under Government Resolution No. 662 of April 26, 2023, regional authorities can now enter into agreements with businesses to stabilize prices on essential goods. These agreements are currently in effect in 36 regions, involving 86 producers, 30 wholesale organizations, and approximately 13,000 retail outlets.
The FAS also announced an expansion of the list of products eligible for price stabilization agreements, which now includes both food and non-food items, excluding those already under state regulation. This move aims to give regional authorities greater flexibility in managing price stability across a broader range of goods.
In addition to these measures, FAS has ramped up its enforcement efforts. In October 2024, the agency imposed three penalties on pharmaceutical companies accused of unfair competition by introducing generics before patents for original drugs had expired. The companies involved were ordered to forfeit more than 2 billion rubles in illegally obtained income, a decision aimed at protecting both original drug suppliers and other pharmaceutical firms waiting for patents to expire.
The agency has also taken steps to strengthen its tools against cartels. In August, FAS successfully lobbied for amendments to the Russian Administrative Offenses Code, which now imposes negotiable fines for obstructing cartel inspections. Fines for legal entities have been significantly increased, ranging from 100,000 to 2 million rubles, depending on the company's revenue, addressing previous fines that were seen as insufficient deterrents.
Other topics discussed included enhancing regulatory tools for digital markets, FAS's role in financial markets, and the agency’s international cooperation efforts. At the close of the meeting, Maxim Shaskolsky, the head of FAS, expressed gratitude to his colleagues for their efforts throughout 2024 and invited them to participate in a roundtable on competition in pharmaceutical markets in 2025, to be held in Kazan, as well as the next IСAP meeting in Moscow.
Source: FAS
